I’m thinking of switching to a Mac, and I’d like your advice
I blame a series of developments for this. First, I can’t forgive that virus known as Windows Vista and the manufacturers who foisted it on us. Second, my iPod turns out to have been a gateway drug. It’s just a thing of beauty, and I’m still amazed by its functions and capability, all fit into such a tiny object. Third, my old Dell is about dead from sheer exhaustion. I’ve preliminarily settled on a Macbook Air, and am leaning toward the 11-inch screen version for blogging on the Metro. So, what’s your advice on the following:
1. What’s the best place and time to buy one?
2. How tough the switch is going to be, in terms of adjustment and compatibility?
3. I don’t do gaming. As if. So is it worth it for me to upgrade from 1.4 GHz to 1.8 GHz?
4. I often have multiple programs open at once, including Google Earth, which takes up a lot of RAM. I suppose that means I should upgrade to 4GB?
5. Do Macs work with most commercially available wireless internet services? Or is there some better option for going wireless with a Mac?
Thank you in advance. Hopefully, I’ll repay your advice with more and better output.
I abandoned Windows for Mac a few years ago. Get the most you can afford — both in hard disk size and speed. I have found no significant difference in wireless compatibility, particularly now the Intel Macs exist — but even before then, Macs were designed for wireless compatibility..
There are two , very minor, considerations — Sony camera programs favor Windows, and Wordperfect just has no Mac program. I don’t know how the feds treat them.
There is a philosophical difference. Windows will allow you to do whatever you want, provided you have the program, the time and the patience — and the downside is the amazing amount of cursing and moaning that comes with the constant incompatibilities. Windows sponsors divorces.
Mac will only allow you to do what it wants you to do — but there are no incompatibilities. So if you’ve got a Mac program it will work, guaranteed. But it will only do what it says it will do. Any attempt to subvert it or extend it results in disobedience, the stubborn behavior of a five-year old when it doesn’t want to go to bed. Total, complete, passive resistance.
I’ve found with Macs that I find a few programs and websites, and stick with them — whereas with Windows there was a constant search for novelty. Neither is bad — they just produced different behavior in me.
I will never surrender my Macs, and I have been wondering how to persuade my secretary at work to lean Word so we can abandon WordPerfect and go to a Mac there too!
I don’t think getting a Mac will be much of a difference, and as far as productivity goes, Windows 7 is the most capable and polished version of Windows yet. Read some reviews of Windows 7 before you go all out on the Mac. I think you will be suprised.
That being said, as far as hardware goes: 1.) The 400mhz difference between the two processors is not that huge, especially for the price difference that apple charges. 2.)As far as memory goes, get the smallest amount that Apple will install, then buy your own memory to bring it up to maximum capacity. Apple charges a ridiculous amount of money for memory upgrades. A 4 gig memory kit from newegg.com is 70 bucks, whereas apple charges 100. You can find it for less than that with no tax and cheaper shipping on amazon.com 3.) The Mac will be able to connect to any commercially produced WiFi network, as they use the exact same hardware as any other personal computer on the market.
Quite honestly, you can get a much more robust computer for less money by choosing a Windows based platform. A Lenovo notebook will be the same or better in terms of durability and battery life, plus the fact that tyou do not have to send the computer to Apple if the battery dies, you simply buy a new battery. Windows 7 has solved all the glaring problems in Vista, and with modern hardware, is super stable. I have had my Windows 7 installation on my desktop computer without reinstalling or any major changes for nearly 3 years, and it is still just as fast as it was when I initially installed the software. Hope this makes your decision a little bit easier!
Yeah, I made the switch to mac a few years ago and never looked back. It’s nice to never worry about viruses or broken drivers. Honestly, considering the amount of money the air costs, the regular white macbook or even the cheap macbook pro is a lot more computer for the money and isn’t that much heavier. However, the air is ultraportable and still a good computer.
1. Any time. You have to order online if you want to customize it. Apple doesn’t do sales very often. You could get a refurbished one for slightly cheaper but I tend not to trust those. 2. It depends what you did on your PC. Most programs are available for both pc and mac now but some are not. In terms of the user interface it shouldn’t take very long. Re-buying software can be expensive, however. 3. Maybe. It depends how patient you are. Nothing will only work on a faster processor, but software and websites will open faster and there’ll be less UI lag. 4. YES!!! Trust me, you need 4GB. You could do what Nigerian_Businessman says but I don’t know if $30 is worth the hassle. 5. Yes.
– also, 64/128 GB isn’t much of a hard drive and there’s no CD/DVD drive, all of which is fine, but make sure you know that before buying the computer. Surprises are bad.
1. What’s the best place and time to buy one?
I assume you’re military, then the best answer is to get it at the PX / NEX – IF the model you choose has been out a few months. For some reason it takes a while for the new product to make its way to the military. No tax + gov’t pricing! If that’s not an option, go to store.apple.com and at the bottom of the page in the center is a link to their government store – it’s basically 10% off.
As for the WHEN, use this: http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/ . It will tell you where in the cycle each product is, so you don’t buy one and next week a new one comes out. I really recommend you get a laptop, but that’s personal preference.
2. How tough the switch is going to be, in terms of adjustment and compatibility?
This was an issue years ago – but after an hour you’ll be 90% operational, after a week you’ll be 99%, and after a month you’ll wonder how you ever lived without a mac. There’s not one big difference – there are hundreds of small differences. I am on my 5th year with mac and under no circumstances would I consider going back. EVER. Even with PCs being half the cost, mac is still worth it.
Now that said, being US Military myself – there are some things that are PC-specific that I HAVE to use (things that require a CAC, my mobile phone software). For those I installed Parallels on my mac and run Windows XP alongside mac. It’s a pain to boot it up and it sucks battery if you’re on a laptop, but I don’t do it enough to care. This is a good crutch that you’ll never be left hanging if there’s something that you must use that’s only PC. Parallels shares the mac’s printer, internet connection, file system – you won’t even know you’re on a mac when you have Parallels maximized. Better, it’s a virtual machine not just for Windows – you can install any version of Windows, Linux, or whatever on your mac. I even had three versions of Windows on my mac once (XP, Vista, 7). $70 for Parallels and you’ll need install discs for whatever version of Windows you’re going to install.
3. I don’t do gaming. As if. So is it worth it for me to upgrade from 1.4 GHz to 1.8 GHz?
4. I often have multiple programs open at once, including Google Earth, which takes up a lot of RAM. I suppose that means I should upgrade to 4GB?
Answering these two things together. I’ve helped more than 20 people buy their first mac, and I always advise them a few things:
a. Since mac doesn’t completely change their OS every three years, people are still using macs they bought 6-8 years ago on today’s software. Granted the new machines load things a little faster, but I upgrade my laptop to the ‘new thing’ every time it comes out and I never notice any appreciable difference.
b. If you can afford the processor upgrade, do it – it’s not user-changeable later. If you can’t, don’t lose sleep over it.
c. Do NOT pay Apple to upgrade RAM or HD. They charge too much, and their options lag behind the market. You can get a 1TB laptop HD and put it in yourself for $99 and 4GB of RAM will cost you about $60 (prices just grabbed from http://www.newegg.com). Those prices are much less than what you’ll pay Apple to do it when you configure the machine.
d. Above note requires you to be comfortable opening the computer, or know someone that can do it for you. There are youtube videos and online guides that can walk you through how to do it.
5. Do Macs work with most commercially available wireless internet services? Or is there some better option for going wireless with a Mac?
I assume you’re talking about cellular service? For wifi they’ll all have 802.11b/g/n. No macs have built-in cellular support, like some PC laptops do. You will be forced to get something that works USB, or Verizon here in the US is selling a MyFi thing that connects and creates a wifi hotspot. These days, wifi is everywhere it seems – even on many planes.
Feel free to email me with any questions…this is me contributing back for sucking information off your blog for 2+ years. 😉
Best,
Chris
Best place and time to buy one? Well, they just came out with the 11-inch MacBook Air (MBA), so there really isn’t going to be much happening with that, price-wise. Price-wise, the best you can do is get someone with access to an Education Store discount to get it for you, which will shave about $50 off the $1000 price. Anyone who is an instructor can get one for you and say they gifted it to you, I guess. Other than that, any Apple Store or large retailer selling these will have comparable prices.
How hard is the switch? Apple tries to make it easy. If you are near an Apple Store, I’ll tell you they are a very happy and willing bunch ready to help you solve whatever problems you need to get fixed. Having access to an Apple Store is a clincher, to me, and I’m pushing my mom to get an iMac for her next computer, now that there’s a new Apple Store a few miles away (she’s always asking me how to do this or that differently on her PC — drives me nuts!).
I use Safari or Firefox, MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and work with Photoshop and video editing materials, and I rarely ever have any “crossover” issues. I share files with PC users all the time, and back when I had my home doubling as a makeshift office, at least one of the five computers operating was a PC, and we had no trouble exchanging files. It’s simply no longer an issue.
Is it worth the upgrade from 1.4 to 1.86GHz? Maybe not. If I’m reading this correctly, you’d have to get the 13-inch MBA to get 1.86GHz, but I think the jump in speed is mostly to accommodate the jump in performance you’d need for the larger set-up. I’ve played with the 11-inch models at Kahala Mall’s Apple Store, and they seem zippy enough. Methinks they have the speed they’re intended to have (Apple doesn’t scrimp on things like that, because they know it will bite them in the rear end later on). But this is a concern I would raise with the geniuses (yes, that’s what they’re called!) at the Apple Store. They are pretty good at giving you frank answers. If they end up suggesting you also consider an iPad instead, you know they’re not going for the high-earning sale.
Do you need 4GB? Yes, I would get that. I have 4GB on my 13-inch MacBook Pro and it is more than adequate for working in multiple programs. 2GB is probably going to be limiting, and it’s only $100 more. Apple used to have their computers set up so that you could easily open them up and add RAM and stuff without voiding your warranty, but that feature became limiting in terms of functionality for their unibody construction and stuff.
Do Macs work with various services? As someone else pointed out, yes. I connect all over the place. But I have not yet tried the USB port wireless (i.e., the one where you put what looks like a thumb drive into your USB which acts as a wireless carrier signal sending Internet goodness into your computer), so I don’t know how well that works. You’d have to ask the carrier if there’s a problem with compatibility, but I don’t see why there would be.
Two things to consider. First, the MBA is designed to be a portable computer for people who have a “home base” computer somewhere else. The newer MBA is more independent than the older one, so it works as a stand-alone computer on which you can download files and what-not. With that on-the-go ultralite functionality in mind, it has no DVD/CD player, but you can get a Superdrive for $79 at the Apple Store which connects through USB.
Second, do you have people around you that know Macs who can help you troubleshoot. The Apple Store folks might be enough for that. Though I love my Macs, I have advised a few people who had easy access to folks who could help them when they do have problems (because Macs aren’t perfect machines either) not to get one. But then again, I advise the same for people considering getting a PC (like my mother, who went ahead and got a cheap PC instead and now make me pay for her decision).
We’ll see if you still don’t want to game after Homefront comes out…
Long time Mac user (and OFK lurker) here:
The 11″ MBA is great. If it’s going to be your ONLY computer, get the 13″. If it’s your mobile computer (you have your main computer at home or at the office), then the 11″ is dandy.
The difference in processor speed is marginal for the price. But DO upgrade to 4 GB memory, and DO upgrade to the 128 GB solid-state drive.
Macs work very well with WiFi everywhere — if a PC can connect, a Mac can connect.
As another commenter said, the switch is pretty painless.
Software suggestions:
Browser: Safari is fine. Some prefer Firefox, a few like Opera.
Office: Office 2011 is a slug; Office 2008 actually is easier to use. iWorks is great if your word processing and spreadsheet needs are ordinary, and Keynote is a superb presentation program.
Google: all the Google apps work on a Mac, so no problem there.
Mail: I like Apple Mail, but many swear by Entourage (MS) or gMail.
Good luck!
Long time MAC user…. for your “office production” needs, OpenOffice is great and it’s free . You can save your docs as MS Office docs and you can open all MS Office files – except – MS Publisher.
Steve White wrote:
I loved the convenient way Entourage/Outlook handled email… until my massive mail file got corrupt and became unopenable. Not even its backup would open. I lost several years of important emails that way. I’ve been using Apple’s Mail since then and have had far fewer problems.
You should consider getting an iMac and an iPad (wifi + 3g) rather than a MacBook. It would probably cost around the same and better fulfill your wireless mobility needs in the metro while giving you a large monitor when you research Google Earth.
Mac = BMW; PC = Chevy Nova.
Matthieu wrote:
Matthieu, I thought about suggesting that as well, as it’s a possibility I’ve been looking into, too. (I have a two-year-old iMac desktop at home and a one-year-old 13″ MacBook Pro that replaced a three-year-old 15″ MacBook Pro that was lost in The Grapefruit Juice Incident of 2009, but I am always planning my next computer… and my next car.)
For me, either an iPad or an 11-inch MacBook Air would be a fine replacement for my MacBook Pro, were I to need that. I do a lot of web surfing and occasional writing of stuff while on the move — airplanes, sitting on couches at my relatives’, etc. — but mostly it would be for taking it to class (I’m a grad student) or to a coffee shop to work. My work-work involves watching media while writing stuff, and I’m not sure how well the iPad handles that, but I know the MacBook Air is as good as any other Mac at that.
For Joshua, though, I think the MacBook Air might be a better choice than the iPad if he is actually considering writing up stuff with the thing on his lap (keeping the iPad in position is the hard part). If he’s got a tray table of some kind, then the iPad is still a contender. What’s convenient about the iPad (if you can keep it in position on something) is that it works with a bluetooth keyboard, so you can have the keyboard on your lap while your iPad is in front of you on your tray table; with the MacBook Air, the keyboard and screen remain together.
If I were Joshua, I would go to the Apple Store and tell them what you would be doing on the train (e.g., using multiple apps at one time, etc.)with the MacBook Air or iPad, and ask them which is more suitable.
If you do get an iPad, you have a choice between wi-fi only or 3G coverage. The latter is “always” connected, but it’s more expensive to purchase and you also have to pay for an AT&T service plan, which is at least $15/month (and goes up as you use more, which you can reduce by also hooking into wi-fi whenever possible). If you are around wi-fi a lot, then you can save yourself some money and forgo the 3G upgrade. Since I have wi-fi where I live, where I go to school, where I visit people, and where I go to do work (e.g., Starbucks, Coffee Bean, etc.), I would get the wi-fi only. In fact, I just got myself a Kindle and made that very decision.
Get a baseline Macbook with 4GB of RAM. It has a 2.4ghz processor and a 1100mhz front side bus. The RAM is DDR3 @ 1100MHZ. That’s lots of power. Graphics card is impressive as well, so programs like google earth render in a snap. Judging by what you do, everything would work lightening fast on this machine.
As for internet – it’s a universal system so you’ll be able to use your Macbook anywhere there is wireless.
Even though Apple has the lowest failure rate in the industry, I’d throw in a 3 year warranty for good measure. All computers come standard with 1 year and additional 3 year warranty may be purchased at any time within the first 12 months.
I’d make the switch to Apple ASAP. I did and will absolutely never touch windows again. No viruses, no bots, no bugs. Just a very clean and thoroughly thought out system.
I usually order directly from Apple.com, but checkout Macmall.com.
Let us know how it goes!
I made the switch too and haven’t regretted it.
I started with this book which I got from the library, Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Snow Leopard Edition, http://amzn.to/g9GRnr.
Then I was so impressed with the book that I bought his other book, Mac OS X Snow Leopard: The Missing Manual, http://amzn.to/eA7Cww.
It took me awhile to figure out which Mac I wanted to buy. I ended up buying an iMac because I am at home most of the time. I went to the Apple Store and had someone help me make a decision.
I went to Macs years ago. Love all 5 in my house. When I convinced a friend to switch his reply back after was “I feel like I have been sleeping with crack whores my whole life. I now know what it is like to be with a lady.” He is a mac guy now.
Thanks to all of you for your advice. I decided to get the Macbook Air with the 13″ screen, mainly because it has significantly better battery life and still weighs just 2.9 pounds. If you upgrade the 11″ model to 128 GB of memory, you’re nearly at the same price as the 13″ already, in which case, why not have a slightly faster processor and more battery life? I also took several commenters’ advice and went for the 4 GB of RAM, for just $100 more. Given how much time I spend with Google Earth, Firefox, and other programs open at the same time, that just makes sense.
Contrary to my wife’s urging, I did not buy the extra warranty. Reading the fine print, I realized that it didn’t cover accidental damage or theft. So what’s the point, exactly? Plus, the computer always comes with a manufacturer’s warranty, which my credit card company already doubles. If others care to tell me I’ve made a terrible mistake, I’m listening.
Now I have to figure out what to do with my Dell. I just bought it three years ago, but I’ve put a lot of miles on it. Still, I’d like to have it as a back-up and for all of the memory in the hard drive. Unfortunately, Vista took such a beating from my latest anti-virus re-install that it wouldn’t even upgrade to Windows 7. I’ve actually downloaded Kubuntu but found the installation somewhat daunting. The other option is to just take out the hard drive, pop it into an enclosure, and just keep it for the data storage.
Suggestions welcome, as always!
You can get good deals via the Apple store in their refurbished section.
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac
I highly recommend the 27 inch imac. I have two of them and love them. Awesome.
If you see a good deal in the refurbished section, grab it! They go fast! I would get at least 4GB of RAM, preferably 8 if you can. Buy more than you need and it will last a long time. Make sure you get Apple Care so you can have it fixed for free if you have any problems, it’s well worth the money.
I have no problems with my Macs and wireless at all.
If you need a good writing program, use Scrivener. Excellent for all kinds of writing, WAY better than MS Word.
http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php
If you ever decide you need Windows, you can use VMWare (paid) or VirtualBox (free) to run Windows right on your Mac desktop. So no worries there.
If you want a good Linux distro, consider Linux Mint. It’s one of the best you’ll find anywhere.
Linux Mint 10 Review
http://desktoplinuxreviews.com/2010/11/12/linux-mint-10/
That version is Ubuntu based. There is also a Debian version that is not based on Ubuntu, if you prefer it.
Linux Mint Debian Edition Review
http://desktoplinuxreviews.com/2010/09/07/linux-mint-9-debian/
Joshua wrote:
I’m glad you asked that question, Joshua.
If you are someone who is planning to use your computer for at least three years, I would get the Apple Care that extends your warranty from one year to three. But, I would wait until shortly before your first year is up (you can extend it at any time), on the off chance your computer is stolen or damaged beyond repair.
I have had it for the past several computers I’ve owned, and it has been worth it, both in terms of cost and peace of mind. Computers — even Macs — do go buggy sometimes, and the Apple people are pretty darned generous with computers covered by Apple Care.
I’ll related an experience recently. I had a gash in my computer’s top part from when it slipped out of my hand in a Starbucks and was caught by my foot, though not before it slid along the table leg just enough to cause that ugly mark. When I brought in the computer for something totally unrelated, they not only gave me no guff that the problem might have been caused by that fall, they actually buffed the gash out of the computer (since it’s an aluminum unibody, this is possible). I was impressed.
I’m not saying they will always do things like that, but the Apple Store people are pretty keen on you having a good Apple experience, and the extra two years of warranty from Apple Care facilitates that after the first year is over.
Then again, I’m paying a student rate for the Apple Care, but I don’t think it’s that different from the regular price.
I would get AppleCare for any portable Mac system, but as Kushibo notes you can buy it for the machine up until day 364 of your ownership of it. I think you can usually get a slight deal on it if you buy through Amazon instead of straight from the mothership, too.
Enjoy the new machine. Once the MacBook Pro I’m using now dies I expect to go the lightweight route as well.
LOL, I wrote that and then found out you already bought one! Haha…
Well, I appreciate this comment you made (it was one of the reasons I suspected so many for leaving pro-Mac comments):
“We all love affirming our own decisions, don’t we? Change! Hope! Now let’s see how much I love this thing, say, in November 2012.”
Good luck with that…