Instead of talking the positives up, perhaps a few Windows users could detail their experiences with spyware, malware and the other shop of horrors that can often be the PC experienced for those that prefer to use the computer as a TOOL to achieve things, and not a lifetime pursuit in and of itself...

Go and ask any Geek Squad pimply faced kid how you deal with a virus on a Mac. Watch their face go blank, as they struggle to think of a time hen that has EVER happened...

What is that worth to you? To simply be able to turn your computer ON, and, with no effort on your part, it always WORKS

After all these years I've never had any of the horror stories you'd like to pretend are routine.
And I can also say any problems I did have were caused by me either something I did, or didn't do that I should have.

As for garageband I couldn't find any extensive midi editing, I'm not saying it's not there but the techs at the store couldn't help, online support and newsgroups couldn't either.
I even posted questions here back in the day and no one could help.
So I kept switching back and forth to do the simple little things on a pc and after a while, even though I wanted to love the mac, I just gave up. I was lucky I had both.

I know I risk the wrath of diki but I'm not saying you should give up your mac and get a pc. I'm just saying there's a learning curve and for an old guy like me that already can perform all the tasks I want on a pc, I couldn't see taking the extra time away from family and friends and all the other things I love to do in my life, just to learn to do the same things with a different machine.


One more important point right after I sold my mac they came out with the intel chip and the ability to run windows, so I never had that option.

If I buy a new mac do I also have to buy a copy of windows to be able to run windows programs?




[This message has been edited by mikeathome1 (edited 09-01-2009).]

I do think that the Mac is likely a better OS. The main problem I have is that I have been PC for 25 years, since 1984 and I know the OS. I am at a point in my life where I do not relish learning a new OS. This is the main drawback. I can do everything I want to do on PC, so I tend to ask myself why do I want to suffer through learning a new OS? I am wanting to REDUCE stress.

There are some things the Mac does that I really, really like. But there are two programs that I use on PC that are pretty much "can't do without it" type programs.

I also think that the Mac is very much over priced. Everything is sky high. And that kinda irks me.

Ideally, I would have one machine and that's it. A laptop.

At this time, I am leaning toward using this Mac until Windows 7 comes out and then make a decision. But then there are those who say never buy first generation of a new OS.

Bill, Here's some more info to confuse you, Windows 7 is really not necessarily a first generation OS. Vista was more like the first generation and Win 7 is now what Vista should have been. There's many discussions on tech forums regarding that. One of the best I've found is winsupersite.com, Paul Thurrott who I don't know personally coincidentally lives just a short distance from one of the offices I work out of.

Anyway I digress, knowing what I know now and not already having invested in what I have in an iMac, a Windows Desktop and a laptop....... if I had to start fresh I would buy a Mac Book Pro using Snow Leopard at least 15 inch screen, I would use boot camp ( I prefer it to Parallels, just personal taste). I would run Windows 7 on the separate partition and you'd have the best of both worlds.

This past weekend I upgraded my iMac to Snow Leopard and installed via built in Boot Camp Windows 7 on another partition. I'm really enjoying the iMac, but I work in a Windoze world. Yea, Apple hardware is pricey no mistake. But think about it Apple makes the hardware and software for their machines. Microsoft makes software that has to run on machines made by many vendors, certainly more of a challenge.

So far as learning the Mac OS I highly recommend taking maybe a one or 2 month subscription to the web site lynda.com ($25 per month) and watching the tutorials on switching from Windows to Mac. $25 give you acess dozens of Mac Tutorials. It's well worth the cost rather than slug thru pages of a text book or getting frustrated trying to figure things out on your own.
http://www.lynda.com/home/DisplayCourse.aspx?lpk2=643

By the way I'd love to see a site similar to lynda.com offer tutorials on arranger keyboards.

[This message has been edited by Stephenm52 (edited 09-01-2009).]

I have xp and vista I find them both to be stable safe & effective. I do some digital recording but not a pro or semi pro DAW. I don't do soft synths. Or 3D rendering. I do digital photos but I don't use top of the line pro programs because I don't need it.

At Best Buy you can buy a laptop and they'll give you the upgrade to windows 7 free.
the biggest drawback to a new os is 1. the bugs and 2 not enough people with experience to help you out.
You can make vista look and behave almost like xp just don't use all the fancy add ons that you don't need. I don't use the widgets (?)

"if I had to start fresh I would buy a Mac Book Pro using Snow Leopard at least 15 inch screen, I would use boot camp ( I prefer it to Parallels, just personal taste). I would run Windows 7 on the separate partition and you'd have the best of both worlds."

But that's a lot'o learnin' for a lazy guy like me

[This message has been edited by mikeathome1 (edited 09-01-2009).]

What a clever bunch we must all be!

Despite the NEED for a Geek Squad in every Best Buy across the land, no-one here has EVER got a problem with their PC

Oh, and nobody ever factors in the cost of complete virus, spyware, malware and registry recovery programs to what they pay for their PC... Buy the software, then PAY for endless updates, all for something that, if you believe our PC members, you don't even need! How much does that cost over a four year span (or more?). Plus your Geek Squad coverage, or IT support, etc...

I don't have any virus programs and malware programs on my Mac. Never have. Never needed them. Got more important things to do than deal with that cr@p!