Macs vs Windows

AubreyMac

I will need to get a new home PC in the next 12 months. The one I currently have I've had it for like 7 years now. It does the job (I only do internet browsing, shopping, occassional download and watch/stream stuff form catch up and youtube). But lately it has been v slow and I know in computer terms it is considered old. Only once I took it for repair as there was a physical power issue.

I want a space saving one where the monitor and actual pc is in 1.

My friend has an apple one and although it looks quite stunning, she paid 1k for it!!

However, although apple products are expensive I have heard that they last longer and are more reliable, less likely to get viruses etc. I have an iphone and I love it.

But when it comes to having a Mac for a home computer, is it worth the money given that I use it for basic browsing?

Do/can you get word, excel etc on macs? With my iphone I am unable to open stuff that requires flash. And when I am sent things by someone using a mac, there seems to be some compatibility issues.

enfield_freddy

STOP RIGHT THERE!!!


do you want to buy a replacement PC (x86/64) or do you want to buy a "mac"?

NiftyDigits

You've just stated that your current PC has lasted for seven years. So how long would you expect the Apple computer to last?
What is the brand name and full model number of your current PC? That way we can check the spec.

esuhl

AubreyMac wrote: »

I want a space saving one where the monitor and actual pc is in 1.

Those all-in-one PCs tend to be overpriced/under-performing and expensive to repair or upgrade. It might be worth reconsidering a "normal" desktop PC.

prowla

I use a Mac mini; I'm on it right now.
I have Word and Excel on it.
It's fine.
And it's not expensive, not if you compare like-for-like; the Dell "micro" PC models are pricier and have an external power supply. Dell do have a rather nifty stand which allows you to attach their micro-PC to the back of the monitor, so it is really separates but has all of the convenience of an AIO (but they ain't cheap!).

There are some Windows apps which you can't get Mac versions for; if this is an issue then you can get a program which will let you install a copy of Windows into a window on your Mac and run your old program in there (I do that regularly).

The other option is to get a laptop, which can be thought of as an all-in-one unit with a built-in standby power supply (ie. a battery) and you can move it around; you can get a big screen to plug in to it if you like. Again, you may think that the Apple ones are expensive, but only if you are comparing them against lower-spec budget models (which typically have inferior screens).

interstellaflyer

Here we go again, Mac haters v Mac Fan boys, Mac haters are always going to put them down, sometimes even when they know zilch about Mac other than what they've herd from a bloke down the pub or read on a forum, on the other hand fan boys will play them up, Me, I own and use both. I prefer Mac, I like the layout and find it a lot easier to use than windows, and to answer your question about Word, Excel etc, you can get MS Office for Mac, that said Mac give you Pages (word processor) Numbers (Spreadsheet) and Keynote (similar to Powerpoint) pre installed, I have been told these can be saved in an office format, I've not tried it because we have Office 365 so can't say for sure.

In your case, with the sort of stuff you do/want to do, I'd probably just get a lower end Windows Laptop or Desktop, we mainly have Mac for my daughters benefit, she does a lot of creative stuff like music, making mix's and mash ups, music videos etc and yes you can do this stuff on windows machines, however she likes the way the Mac does it and I think £1300 or so is a very small price to pay to encourage talent and creativity.

rich13348

(I only do internet browsing, shopping, occassional download and watch/stream stuff form catch up and youtube)

I
If that is all you need it for buy a tablet either iPad or galaxy tab.

Mr_Toad

enfield_freddy wrote: »

STOP RIGHT THERE!!!


do you want to buy a replacement PC (x86/64) or do you want to buy a "mac"?

Oh dear......

A Mac is a PC (Personal Computer) and it has been a while since the internal hardware was different.

Both Windows and OSX machines will do exactly what you want so buy whichever you want. I'm afraid I really don't understand the fanatics on either side.

As someone pointed out you can get a basic Mac Mini for £399 that will do you just fine but it isn't an all in one.

I've never had a problem with Windows but I do like OSX on the Mac, mainly because I understand the *nix OS having spent my working life supporting unix/linux servers.

People will tell you how expensive a Mac is but you can pay a lot more for some Windows machines but Apple have a limited range and there are no cheap Macs, just like some car makers produce cheap models and some don't.

prowla

No fan boys/haters so far...

Macs have always been PCs; just not always IBM compatibles...

I've got a Mac mini and one of these Dells.

http://www1.euro.dell.com/eu/en/dhs/Desktops/optiplex-3020m-desktop/pd.aspx?refid=optiplex-3020m-desktop&s=dhs

(Mine isn't on the stand; it's mounted to the bottom of a bookshelf, and it's running Linux not Windows.)

Moneymaker

AubreyMac wrote: »

I have heard that they last longer and are more reliable, less likely to get viruses etc.

They CAN be more reliable than some "built-to-a-price" PCs.
There are no viruses available for OSX so you can safely ignore that possibility for now. There have been one or two "trojans" so you have to keep your wits about you and not install stuff willy nilly - although the built-in "Gatekeeper" will help protect you. And there are "phishing" attempts no matter what OS platform you use.

Overall, Macs might be less time-wasting and more productive than Windows PCs - judging by the questions I see here about virus problems etc. You don't generally get major problems unless you do something really stupid. However, there IS a steep learning curve. You'll find most things slightly easier on a Mac but some things harder - especially when you are used to the way Windows works.

One especially useful feature of OSX is the way it's integrated so that Applications "talk" to each other. For example, the Mail program can pick out a friend's email address from your "Contacts" App. Your Photo program lets you click and dump a photo directly into an email. The built in spell checker works in all Apps.

Also iTunes - essential if you have an iPhone or other Apple device - generally plays more "nicely" in OSX than in Windows.

BTW I have NEVER bought a new Mac. I always buy second-hand. I'm typing this on a 13" early 2011 MacBook Pro with 2.7 GHz i7 CPU, that I bought off eBay. I expect to get several more years out of it but I could sell it right now for about £800. Used Macs hold their prices quite well. Check out eBay prices.

I_have_spoken

is it worth the money given that I use it for basic browsing?

If that is the main use, I'd say no. Plus if you have any purchased Windows s/w you'll need to buy the Mac version (if available). Then learn OS X.

With the release of Windows 10 next week, I'd hold off and see what machines are released designed for 10 with touchscreens, be it all-in-ones or hybrid tablet/laptops. Machines in the shops now with Windows 8.1 should be avoided at all costs or you'll have the hassle of upgrading to 10 yourself.