Apple mac or microsoft

[llamedos]

I have just lost my wife to Alzheimer's, and am confused with my pc's

I am constantly having to update my present pc, and to be honest it's getting to be a right pain.

I am thinking about buying an apple mac desk top - I already have an iPad, and very happy with it.

What I want to know is the advantages of apple, and also the disadvantages.

Is there something that apple cannot do - what are the differences in simple terms

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

 

[sussexsue]

People who use Macs love them. They are particularly good for graphic/photo/video type packages. They incorporate many of the seamless drag and drop features that ipads do. They are also beautifully designed. They tend to be a bit hardier than PCs, but when they break they can be very expensive to fix.

I personally stick to PCs, literally because of I have used and worked with them all my life and know how to fix things when they go wrong. Having said that I love my ipad and iphone, but they do quite happily sync with my PC apps, so really see them as a seperate item.

I would personally be tempted to go over to the darkside (Macs), but TBH the cost of them is prohibitive for me.

Windows went into a bit of a dark hole with Vista, but I understand the new Windows 7 is much more stable and in some ways mimics Macs. If you are used to PCs I would probably advise staying with them.

 

[hollycat]

My hubby has worked within/on PC's all his life.

Was recently introduced to MAC.

He has said his next PC will be a MAC, no doubt about it.

The major problem you will find with a MAC is when you become so used to the way windows works, opening windows, closing windows, minimizing windows etc etc it appears to be a whole new ball game on the MAC.

My hubby has built his own PC to show you the depth of knowledge he has. He has told me that if he ever becomes a MAC owner, he WILL BE BOOKING A TRAINING COURSE.

 

[Izzy]

I bought a MacBook recently and I move it. I bought Microsoft office for the mac as I use a pc at school and needed to be able to work on office at home as well as school. I have no problem going between the two systems. I found the use of the mac very easy to pick up. The deal I got included a year's access to a 'personal trainer' in the shop. I haven't been able to find time to book a slot but they are available to take you any aspect of the system you need help with. I'm sold on the mac!

 

[nitram]

"...I am constantly having to update my present pc..."

Why?
Because it doesn't behave like it used to?
Because you keep on wanting to do more/different things?

If you tell us what you want the system for people will be better able to help you.
Do you want it for games?
Do you want it for multimedia use?
Do you intend to do a lot of desktop publishing?
Do you want compatibility with any other system or software applications?

 

[maryw]

I am sorry to hear of the loss of your wife. Having a new interest at this difficult time may be a good thing.

I changed to Mac just over a year ago. Within a week, a total convert. I just find them less confusing, none of those annoying pop-up screens on the PC "Do you really want to do this?" etc. They have in-built anti-virus protection and are much safer. It is worth buying Office for Mac as then you have all the same software as on a PC and it is also compatible. Macs have a wonderful thing called "Time Machine" which, when linked to an external hard drive, backs up your PC every month. I also like the Contacts on it - I find this really useful as it syncs with my iphone and also prints labels, even Christmas ones, very easily.

The photos of course are amazing. I made a bound MacBook for hubby's birthday of photos of our dog from puppyhood and was able to add comments and personalise it all. You can also run slideshows with music of groups of your photos - e.g. holiday in France (you could add French music to it). This is just fun to do.

I bought hubby a Mac for his 70th birthday (very special present) as his laptop had died. He LOVES it They are very user friendly.

Perhaps a new challenge would suit you?

 

[Brucie]

I'm really sorry to hear you lost your wife.

I have recently moved from PCs to an iMac.

I had worked with PCs since before Windows came out, and used them for work, and latterly for music and photographs.

November 2010 I bought a 27" iMac, along with one-to-one training for a year.

Had I wanted to surf the Web, handle pictures, movies, write books, create personal web sites, plus a host of other things - without needing to coordinate with people using Windows, and with applications I used on Windows - then it would have been brilliant. The need to interlink with Windows caused a host of challenges and cost money. I guess my age and a seemingly similar interface that was annoyingly different didn't help.

The ability to run Windows on the iMac as well as the native OS X operating system was critical, and I bought something called Vmware Fusion 3 that enabled me to run Windows at the same time as the Apple software. Usually you choose one or the other at one time using a thing called Boot Camp. Hey, I've been a computer professional since 1965 - I'm used to complexity. Possibly that has been a problem because I initially overcomplicated my use of the iMac. It didn't need to be that difficult!

Now, there is one final Windows product that I use that is not available on the native Apple software - Family Tree Maker 2012. Next week it is released in a new version that is apparently very good. There was an existing version but it had bad reviews, and was not compatible fully with the latest Windows version I have been running.

I don't say anything above to turn anyone off Apple, because now I have made the jump, spent the money and more importantly the time, I would never go back. Never have my pictures and music been so accessible. Never has it been easier to do things.

The computer is so fast without the need for anti virus software, and I really don't like using Windows any more. The large display is fantastic.

I'd recommend going for an iMac if you can afford it. Put Microsoft Office 2011 Home Edition on it if you want decent word processing and spreadsheet.... or buy Pages and Numbers from the Apple Store [there's a legal way to get them cheapest there, much cheaper than the way they initially show them].

I recommend you buy an external hard drive and use it for Time Machine - automatic backups invisibly. Digital photos are irreplaceable.

You probably won't need to buy much extra software - the iMac will have it all.

I do recommend the one-to-one training [it is cheap and you can book as many sessions as you want or need] but only if you have an Apple Store nearby. There are some great books available to help - look at the Missing Manual range on Amazon and download the ones you need to a Kindle app on your iPad, or load Kindle on the iMac, PC or phone and use it there. These books have enabled me to bridge the gap in changing systems.

In summary:

Plus
If you are not in a working environment, there is simply no choice - Apple every time

Minus
If you don't have the money, then PCs are much cheaper

In my experience, most people are down on Apple products because they can't afford them, and probably haven't had the opportunity properly to try them. iMac, iPad, iPhone, iPod are all extremely good products.

Good luck!

P.S. I have NOT just started a new job with Apple!!!

 

[jenniferpa]

Glad to see you've come over the the light side Bruce.

Love

 

[Brucie]

Hi Jennifer,

Apple provides precious little documentation for its systems. Once I had discovered the Missing Manuals, I was fine.

What I like most is the system starting up in seconds, whereas my previous Windows system [still used in the room next to me] sometimes takes ten minutes - and the processor is no slouch. It is all the virus scanning I think, and also very frequent Windows updates - just downloading the updates slows down the speed of the broadband massively. It took ages for me to believe that the Apple was so much more secure.

The iMac has software updates, but they are far less regular, and very fast to do.

The only thing I have done is to ignore the latest operating system update, to Lion, as the user reports of that are dreadful - it appears to slow the system back to Windows speeds! Fine if you are buying a new system as far as I can see, but upgrading is not necessarily good.

So, even Apple has problems.

I hope you are well!

x

 

[florence43]

Mac, Mac, Mac!!!!

When I was considering a new laptop, I asked those who had a Mac to explain the benefits...but they couldn't seem to put it into words! A sort of misty eyed look would be there instead and they would simply say that once you've had a Mac, you will never go back.

Now that you ask the same question...I can only give you the misty eyes!

It's user-friendly, ridiculously fast, it is almost impossible for viruses to affect it, it starts up in seconds...and it has lovely little light up keys on the keyboard!!! Well, the Macbook Pro does!

When I watch others using the PC...I can see the difference, and despite the cost...I could never go back!

 

[maryw]

Hee hee - so we have a Mac club on TP

I have the most brilliant use for mine. I teach music and have lots of contact names and numbers I need regularly. My Mac syncs with my iPhone; I can sort them in groups, print labels out etc. I'm also able to write short report notes on my phone during/after lessons, sync with Mac, copy and paste into a report. It is so easy to use. Love it, love it

I also have the external hard drive backing up to Time Machine - brilliant and so easy. You also never have to defrag.

 

[jenniferpa]

You're correct about Lion Bruce - my husband has just had to upgrade and is almost apoplectic about the changes (according to him it's been made much more like Windows...) Mind boggling really. I hope to god someone gets control of the boys in short pants who led the development on this version.

P.S. I'm very well - hope to catch up soon.

 

[Jancis]

Time Machine is just amazing - it has saved my life several times by turning the clock back I changed my internet hosting company recently and had to reconfigure my email accounts and stupidly managed to delete some important emails - but my Time Machine is set to back up every hour and I was able to restore them so easily. Phew! My Mac is an extension of me, he's (my computers have always been male) beautiful to look at and with a beautiful operating system (not like me ) No wonder my hubby gets a tad jealous because of the amount of time I spend with him!

 

[handyjack]

As an alternative to Windows or Mac OsX May I suggest any of the Linux Operating Systems. I've been using Ubuntu for around 7 months now. It can do anything the others can do. email. web surfing, games etc. But the best thing?? It's absolutely free
Second best thing?? There's no viruses in the wild (on the internet) for Linux at the moment.
Linux is a very secure OS.
You can also install it in such a way that your computer becomes a "Dual Boot" machine, where you choose which OS you want to use, every time you turn on your computer.

 

[Brucie]

All my own thoughts below:

Unix and Linux have been around for years, Unix, for decades. Apple's operating system OS X is Unix.

I think the main points that come out of this thread are:

1) ease of use of Apple systems
2) few virus issues

For most people it is the way everything links together on a Mac that is the draw, and the fact they come with most things most people need, pre-installed and hot to trot. The realisation afterwards that the virus issues appear to have gone away is a major bonus, but rarely a reason to spend out on Apple.

I've not used Linux, but would not expect everything - standard applications such as Apple's iLife, which is so amazingly functional, and the optional iWork - to interlink as well and as simply as with an Apple system. Would Linux link so well with iPhone, or iPad? I don't know but suspect it would be on a par with Windows, which is not quite the same level as an iMac or MacBook gets.

Apple has dual boot as well, though one needs to pay for the second system installed.

Linux might be a good option for someone who is really interested in hands-on running of a PC, or someone who cannot afford Apple, but doesn't like Windows. I doubt if anyone one knows would be able to help with problems though..... I'm always being asked about issues by friends, but if they even mentioned Linux, I'd have to say, go to a Linux forum.

Don't get me wrong - Linux is very well-respected, no matter which version you use - but for most people on TP, I think they are likely to go for Windows or Apple.

 

[handyjack]

Brucie, Apple have had problems with viruses and malware in the not so distant past. Where they have let users down though is in the support side, when things go wrong. The last malware event that affected thousands of Apple users, was initially met with the response from Apple technical support that, "You downloaded the malware, It's your problem.". (the malware posed as a security update from Apple, and looked very convincing) Over a week passed before Apple thought it was so serious that they'd actually do something about it.
On the subject of dual booting, all computers should be capable of this. Linux OS's are downloadable free of charge off the internet, so you wouldn't have to pay to have a second OS installed (unless you chose Windoze)
Having said that, Windows is still the most popular OS out there. Microsoft know the problems they have with viruses and malware, therefore the support from Microsoft is actually very good.

To my mind, any OS is only as safe as the person using it. Many are not quite "Internet savvy" enough to realise what they are actually clicking on a website.

 

[Brucie]

To my mind, any OS is only as safe as the person using it.

and therein lies the key.

I suspect this is an inappropriate forum for any depth technical discussions of computers, operating systems and user interfaces.

The original poster asked for information to help make a decision regarding whether or not to purchase an Apple desktop aka iMac, and the replies have been pretty much in favour of that, primarily from ease of use.