Aqua-Soft Forums

I want a Mac, but...

I want a Mac, but…

I need help with a few questions. The sales people at my local computer store are not too friendly.

First off, I’m a PC user. Here are my specs:

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-K8NSC-939

CPU: AMD Athlon64 3000+ 1.81Ghz

RAM: 1GB DDR SDRAM

Hard Drives: 1x 200gb, 1x 40gb

Video Card: nVidia Ge-Force FX 5500oc

Sound Card: Creative Audigy2 ZS

Monitor: Gateway EV700 17”

Operating System: Windows XP Pro SP1

OK. If you need to know anymore specs, please let me know.

I want to know if a Mac is right for me. I hate Windows. Who doesn’t? I’m not looking forward to the new Windows, so I’d like to plan to buy a Mac before the new Windows comes out. I’d like to know if a Mac can do what I can do now on my PC, and more.

Here are my most used programs that I use:

Adobe Audition = audio editing

Opera = web browsing

Outlook Express = e-mail

Word 2003 = writing

Microsoft Digital Image Suite 2006 = photo editing

WinDVD = play DVD movies

iTunes = ripping and playing audio CD’s

Nero Burning Rom 6.6 = burning CD’s and DVD’s

Games = when I’m in the mood

I was wondering if I can do all that on a Mac? Would it be more powerful than my computer that I have now? Also, what is the learning curve for Mac OS X? I tried a few distros of Linux such as Mandrake, SuSE, and Slax. Is Linux like Mac OS X?

If anyone can please help me out, that would be great.

Thanks in advance.

- vertigo173

:)

#335368

You can do all of those things minus the gaming. MAC = Su><0r for gamers.Learning curve I thought was easier than Windows XP.

#335370

Well, it depends what games you want to play. A LOT of games are currently supported/will be supported on Mac. It's true that there are also a lot of games that aren't, but it seems that gaming isn't really a priority for you.

You can do everything that you listed on a Mac. It's much better and easier to use also :P

Go for it!

#335373

garageband = audio editing

safari = web browsing

mail.app = e-mail

word = writing

iphoto = photo editing

dvd player = play DVD movies

iTunes = ripping and playing audio CD’s

itunes/idvd = burning CD’s and DVD’s

Games = when I’m in the mood

#335375

Thanks guys, for all your help. I'm not a diehard gamer. Ocassionally I'll install a game for a couple hours. I might buy a Mac Mini to see if I like it. I'm sure I would. :)

Thanks again.

#335380

I might buy a Mac Mini to see if I like it. I'm sure I would. :)

Thanks again.

Just saw the Mac Mini on Dotto Tech with a price around $599! Is this True?

Sorry, not trying to hijack the thread just want to know the same questions about the mini.

#335407

are you trying to say like 'omg its so cheap' or 'omg, its so expensive'??

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebO...ni&mco=E59FFEF8

#335410

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebO...ni&mco=E59FFEF8

I remeber there is a option that you can borrow a mac mini and try it. if you dont like it you can give it back.

#335413

The biggest thing to learn about osx when you switch to windows is that on windows you do something multiple times for it to work but on a mac it just works the first time.

#335415

Adobe Audition = audio editing

Opera = web browsing

Outlook Express = e-mail

Word 2003 = writing

Microsoft Digital Image Suite 2006 = photo editing

WinDVD = play DVD movies

iTunes = ripping and playing audio CD’s

Nero Burning Rom 6.6 = burning CD’s and DVD’s

Games = when I’m in the mood

1.) soundtrack, garagebad, logic - depends how serious you are

2.) safari, flock, firefox, opera, ie (EWWW) - your preferences

3.) mail.app, entourage (blech)

4.) pages, openword, neowriterlbablah

5.) iphhoto, adobe pselements, pscs2, APERTUREshiptoday!!!

6.) itunes

7.) nero, toast, disk utility

8.) depends what games you play... if you play wow or other blizzard [d2, wc] they are for mac.. wolf ET, halo, etc...

you'll enjoy the mac :)

#335418

are you trying to say like 'omg its so cheap' or 'omg, its so expensive'??

Definitely meant cheap...actually affordable.

#335421

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebO...ni&mco=E59FFEF8

I remeber there is a option that you can borrow a mac mini and try it. if you dont like it you can give it back.

@millenium - not any more - that offer was pulled a day after it was made. obviously apple thought that there were gonna be too much returned minis with which they wouldnt be able to do anything.

#335446

Ive been enjoying OSX. Im def. gonna make the switch once the Intel machines hit the shelves. Or I would really like to build my own and have it run OSX, yeah right.

#335450

i use to have a mac and windows i prefer windows for some reason even though mac os x is perfect-i will probably buy me a intel ibook i heard they will be widescreen

i dont know yet-i have nothing againgst windows then again i know what im doing.

but everything you do on xp you can do on a mac-the only diffrence is the diffrent programs. i noticed they both basically the same diffrent structure

dont be fooled-they both do the same exact thing

#335458

The biggest thing to learn about osx when you switch to windows is that on windows you do something multiple times for it to work but on a mac it just works the first time.

Mac fanboyism is good, actually i'm a fanboy too ... but you need to recognize the fine line between plain fanboyism and blinded stupidity .. and with the statement you made, you've just crossed that line..

You are special.. It makes you stand out of a crowd :P

#335473

Why you don't think wait for new Mac? Next year, you can buy more cpu power less money. I'm waiting new Mac model (IntelMac), I have a plan buy the new one but I think today is early.

#335479

The biggest thing to learn about osx when you switch to windows is that on windows you do something multiple times for it to work but on a mac it just works the first time.

AMEN.

Thats why I want a Mac.

#335498

i use to have a mac and windows i prefer windows for some reason even though mac os x is perfect-i will probably buy me a intel ibook i heard they will be widescreen

i dont know yet-i have nothing againgst windows then again i know what im doing.

but everything you do on xp you can do on a mac-the only diffrence is the diffrent programs. i noticed they both basically the same diffrent structure

dont be fooled-they both do the same exact thing

You are definitely entitled to your opinion but they do not do exactly the same thing. Trust me. I can not go back to using a windows box now that I have beeen on my mini since April. Everything on a mac is streamlined and smooth. On my mac I can do in 2 steps what windows would take 5 steps.

On a def. windows setup how many clicks would it take you to get to say your applications folder?

On a mac this takes 2 clicks. If you wanted to find something in windows how would you go about doing that? If you have a lot of windows open how do you find the one that you are looking for? In OSX all of these tasks can be accomplished with 1-2 clicks of your mouse. In windows it will take mutliple clicks to get the desired result and I guarantee more time. What if you are typing something in any text box in windows and you arent sure of the spelling of a word. Can you right click in windows and use its built in dictionary to check the spelling? The list goes on and on and on. In addition there are a number of add ons for osx that make it even simpler to use. The do not do exactly the same thing. :D I am gonna take a little video here in a bit and show you what I mean.

#335524

Well, bz, I have a question for you...

For getting to Applications, I've set up something so I can do it without clicking at all. Takes me about one second, and I find it extremely easy.

Though the above was just an example, my basic question is what if we've tailored our Windows machine to our needs? Not graphically/theming, but in terms of usability. I find it extremely easy to get around on my computer (I use the Run menu a lot--I know I could use Butler, Spotlight, and that good one whose name escapes my mind, though I could find it), but will I find it similarly easy to adjust to a Mac?

Thanks :)

-NC

#335709

AMEN.

Thats why I want a Mac.

AMEN

Thats why I got a Mac.

#335732

AMEN.

Thats why I want a Mac.

Did you try,open the multiple photoshop files same time on the windows? For example open the 4 files in the photoshop, each file app. 200 MB. What's happening? I suppose windows is gone :) Windows multitasking feature not good. I have a 1 GB Dual 533 MHZ RAM, My CPU P4 2.4 Ghz but my photoshop working always slow. Why, I don't know. How much I need RAM? Approximately 10 GB? Is that enough!!!!! My collegue, she have a MAC G5, she is working always photoshop, freehand and quarkxpress on the same time, but working performance is perfect. Why? I think, Unix miracle, OSX origin is unix (freebsd)...

#335795

there is no multitasking-miracle with unix, they just use another structure.

on windows every app trys to get most ram, on unix the system says how much ram an app gets.

For the topic:

I switched not to long ago to mac, and I found several things I dont like that much.

1. the finder. It has nice features, but sometimes I really want a posibility to cut and paste files. (you can copy and paste, but nt cut - strange imho)

2. something which is simple a new thing to former win-users: os x makes a difference between apps and application windows. means: you can minimize a window but the application is still in the foreground, in win you get on the desktop or to the next application. sometimes a bit strange, but sometimes this feature is quite useful - think this point is a bit mixed (hope anyone understands xD )

I really like my mac and wont switch back.

#335807

Wow. I come back and all these posts. Thanks everyone for all your input. :)

I was wondering, how come Intel is going to be the CPU for Apple computers? Isn't the G5 supposed to be fast? I never understood the speed comparrison between Intel 3ghz+ and the G5's speeds? Do G5's have hyper-threading like the Intel's? I currently have an AMD Athlon64 3000+ 1.8ghz. It runs OK. I've always had AMD.

Thanks again for all your help and advice.

#344099

I see u've a great processor that support SSE2 and SSE3 (if it's socket 939 suppor SSE3), why u dont try the MacOS x86?

#344379

My CPU supports both SSE2 and SSE3 and is socket 939 Venice core. :) Can you buy MacOS x86?

#344405