Thinking of changing to Mac

candtalan

C_Mababejive wrote: »

Dont do it.
Keep your PC but install ubuntu linux on it.

I second that idea, particularly if you expect to be giving up Windows. A halfway step would be to install Ubuntu as a dual boot system, still keeping Windows available. You loose nothing, and later you can STILL spend on a Mac if you wish. But, however easy it is to use Ubuntu, and it is easy, the disciplines needed when creating a dual installation are something you might like to phone a friend about to get help. People like me will gladly help (free) but I am in Berkshire (bracknell), where are you?

Im_just_careful

I've a mix of computers (and a tendancy to not chuck stuff out).

I like Windows 7 but I like Mac OS.

You can get everything to play nicely after a bit of work. I have a printer on an old XP machine (for the moment at least) and I can print to that from my MacBook.

If I started again, I would have a network drive with the printer connected to it and an iMac. A second machine might be Windows 7.

Common file types can be read by either machine. iTunes is not very nice on a Windows PC but fine on a Mac.

If you have an extensive MP3 collection in iTunes on the PC it is possible to move it and have it all work.

Mr_Toad

candtalan wrote: »

it was widely publicised at the time that most of the developers upped and left the Open Office project (not long after Oracle bought themselves into the scene), and set up The Document Foundation (DF). The open licence allowed them to take the code, just as it had allowed Oracle earlier to copy ALL of Red Hat's code for Oracle to sell their own almost identical product! The DF is very actively improving and cleaning out the codebase, unlike the OO team who are basically just housekeeping.
This will give some background
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LibreOffice
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/248580/10_things_to_look_forward_to_in_libreoffice_35.html

Yes I'm aware of the background, my point was that Open Office is not a dead end.

Currently Libre Office is slightly ahead of the game as they got a release in while Apache are still migrating Open Office.

It's going to be interesting to watch them both as IBM is active in Open Office. It may take them a while to catch up but I wonder if the split will ultimately be a good thing for the end user, each spurring the other on to greater things. Or, result in neither reaching their full potential.

Answers on postcard......

Chickabiddybex

In my opinion if you have to ask those questions you shouldn't be getting an iMac.

iProducts are the same as other products but with a hefty price tag so there is no point in getting one unles you have specific needs and I don't think you do because you haven't asked "how well does the iMac do X compared to a PC?" you just want to know if it will open your files. So... unless you want to learn how to use a computer all over again and have a large pot of disoposable cash... please don't get an iMac!

timberflake

Chickabiddybex wrote: »

In my opinion if you have to ask those questions you shouldn't be getting an iMac.

iProducts are the same as other products but with a hefty price tag so there is no point in getting one unles you have specific needs and I don't think you do because you haven't asked "how well does the iMac do X compared to a PC?" you just want to know if it will open your files. So... unless you want to learn how to use a computer all over again and have a large pot of disoposable cash... please don't get an iMac!

I have a large pot of disposable cash so I'm good to go.

candtalan

timberflake wrote: »

I have a large pot of disposable cash so I'm good to go.

LOL. Apple is golden handcuffs. Very very pretty but you do not get the key. Good luck.

ada1988

It is okay to have some change for using Mac instead of PC.
That is alright.

flexrider

timberflake wrote: »

I've been looking at various options for buying a new computer for a while now and am considering a iMac. I currently have a PC, will the Mac be able to read all my music files, pics, docs ok? I understand I'll have to get a copy of office for Mac, but once I have that it should read all my word/excel files ok?

Out of all my machines i have (over 10 Laptops now and other junk scattered over the place my wife loves me for ) My pride procession is my macbook and macbook pro.Clearly im not going to start a Fan war like on the internet But on my MBP i can run Via Bootcamp windows 7 and my very old mcbook I can run windows vista which is a doddle to do. in mac you just set up bootcamp to run either OS with the amount of memory( The lowest with vista is 2Gb which is cool) or i can use parellas a mac software to run windows in my mac desktop like Vmware.So applications are not a problem just install via Bootcampwhat you need and open them in mac via Parellas.

As for excel or word there is Microsoft office for mac also for playing music there is Itunes which if you know how can act as a music server to all other machines using Itunes Genius Share, Also your Os comes with Icloud so you can share in the cloud also stuff.

Theer no difference between a mac and pc But in bootcamp it can get alot warmer and slow to use over time.

I prefer safari then windows and firefox the feature of seeing all my sites at once in one screen to click and choose is a great feature.


All depends on what you want to do with your computer really whats it for? General use

flexrider

Chickabiddybex wrote: »

In my opinion if you have to ask those questions you shouldn't be getting an iMac.

iProducts are the same as other products but with a hefty price tag so there is no point in getting one unles you have specific needs and I don't think you do because you haven't asked "how well does the iMac do X compared to a PC?" you just want to know if it will open your files. So... unless you want to learn how to use a computer all over again and have a large pot of disoposable cash... please don't get an iMac!

Lets look at that closley

Operating systems for windows.....120 quid
Mac operating systems such as Lion or OSX.....$29.99 or $59.99 multi-licence

IN terms of Comparing you clearly are right there is non all machines are made of hardware a PC use also(Processor,Memory ect) But mac does market their machines and products more hence the price tags i cannot belive that people are flocking to buy iPhone4 of 500 quid with little software for the price availabile included as you have to get it all by the apps store.


BUt as i said its up to the use of the machine, Macs are better at graphic design since abolbe photoshop and dreamweaver was Oringally created for macs before PC.

wba31

On the Microsoft Office for Mac stuff, I just iWorks, which is great, only issue is if you need to create a file and convert it back for windows use, microsoft office on a pc may not be able to pick up everything from your iworks document. If you wont be creating files which then need to be used on a PC though, its not an issue.