My last two PC's have driven me crazy with conflicts, slowdowns and incompatible software.

Does anyone have advice for a PC user switching to Mac? Am I going to be going to absolute step 1 in my learning? Is internet navigation similar? How do emulators work? Do I need 'Dave' or anything to run a router to share cable net service with a 'Wintel' machine?

What have been your experiences in the switch? I've heard that once you go to a Mac, you don't go back to a Wintel machine.

Will you be at step one?
No. There will be an initial learning curve,
but it's steep. Intuition is your friend here
in the world of Apples.
---
Internet navigation similar?
Similar, but...It's easier.
---
Emulators?
They run a mac rom in software, and
allow the running of the mac OS. They are
somewhat clumsy. You want a mac, get a
mac.
---
Need Dave with Router?
No. Routers throw out signal to an IP
address. Every computer has one.
---

I admit my total ignorance here. I wanted to buy a Mac as my first computer, but I took the advice of my friends and family. Then, after that computer was a disaster (It's not an understatement to say that NOTHING worked right), I almost bought an iMac, but was told it was too expensive for its speed and capability. I didn't know then that mhz is not necessarily the only measurement of total computer speed. I also didn't know I could add firewire and USB cdrw's and peripherals so easily.

This is what I use my computer for:

1) Making digital music via AcidPro, Fruity Loops, Cool Edit Pro, and various plug ins. I use cracked software now, because I only pay for software when I absolutely need to--not because I'm a mooch or anything, but because I feel that the time I have to spend MAKING THESE PROGRAMS WORK RIGHT is unreasonable and I'm not compensated for it.

2)Downloading mp3 files and discovering new music. Sources tell me there will be a Mac version of Morpheus up soon.

3)Burning CD's.

4)Surfing the net.

5)Word Processing and schoolwork.

Considering that, is the new, redesigned iMac a good choice? I'm willing to pay for a program called 'Reason' for the Mac that's supposed to have everything as far as music making goes.

Will Apple survive for the lifespan of the new iMac? Are they in trouble so serious that the company might fail?

One clarification...the Emulator I'm talking about is Virtual PC..for running Wintel programs on a Mac...not the other way around.

The more I learn about Apples, the more I like them. It's a shame I have to keep slogging along with my wintel machine until I can afford a new iMac (September at the earliest).

I agree with the statement "Once Mac
never back". I started out as a PC user
(luckily my first PC was given to me), but
for nastalgia (I remembered the Apple ][e
in school) reasons decided to give Apple
a try. Now, I would never go back to using
a PC. I have a home network and the only
reason a PC is on it is because it routes
my IP service and there's some software I
have that is PC only. The learning curve is
there, but Macs are some much simpler
to configure and learn it won't be a
problem. I think the new iMac would be a
great first Mac. They now come with G4
proccessors and I hear (I have a
Powermac) are basically take out of the
box, hook up the wires, and go. All in all, I
think you'll be much happier with a Mac
and any extra $ you spent you'll feel was
well worth it.

I've heard the new iMac comes with two firewire ports, and that the iPod and iTunes sync up to the point where transfer of mp3s is nearly effortless. How many PCs come with that standard? How about wireless networking?

I don't want to upgrade my PC. Every upgrade I've made, from software upgrades to hardware upgrades, has resulted in a buggier system.

I won't play games (except perhaps games like Diablo...cause they're so simple) on PC anymore. I bought an Xbox for that. Do you know why I don't play games on my PC? Every time I put a game on my system, I had to spend hours downloading patches and debugging the system (usually the brilliant M$ Windows OS).

Do the people at ZDnet have an agenda that includes pushing Macs? The writers there have numerously mentioned the ease of use that comes bundled with a Mac. I see the fact that Apple creates hardware and software to be a bonus..it means that they know they are responsible when the OS and Hardware conflict. Microsoft doesn't take you seriously when there's a conflict, because they know that more than half the time, it isn't their fault and there wasn't anything they could do to prevent it. I have to give Microsoft credit..they're trying to do the best they can with absolutely NO control of hardware. Intel is cranking out chips that are are fast from a mhz perspective but are nonetheless outperformed in benchmark tests by AMD chips that are significantly lower in pure mhz power.

What freedoms do PCs bring? The freedom to upgrade? If the damn thing was put together with foresight, I shouldn't NEED to upgrade it. I didn't upgrade my PSone...I bought new gaming hardware. If you took all the money you spend on upgrades while paying yourself for the time you invest in making your upgrades 'play nice', you could use that money to buy a new computer every 4-6 years.

Tell me I'm wrong. Explain it to me, cause I've wasted several thousand dollars on PCs and software that are criminally underwhelming.

Once an Apple, never a piece of crap (PC)!
Welcome to the 21st century, I feel sorry for all those who are still rubbing sticks to start a fire.

QUOTE: "PC means freedom, Mac
means dictatorship. PC is innovation,
Mac is bundling (from software to
hardware) monopoly."

Monopoly??? Microsoft is much more of a
monopoly than Apple. I think your
arguments are somewhat one-sided.
Very strange.

tik,
You didn't say what Mac you were buying..
Yes, they connect with PC's and router
with no problem.
Forget any emulation software/VPC etc.
If you are getting a Mac, get a Mac. If you
have a PC then use it... Both is best,
depending on what you do.

I use both, and find it useful.
Yes, the Macs have FW/USB and play
some games.
check it out, buy a used/recon G3/G4 or
even a iMac to check them out.
Let us know what happens..kudos

i'm a pc user. I'll give apple this: their hardware is better. but though windows does suck, i would have to say it's better than macos. except perhaps osx, since it's bsd based. but then i suppose it all depends on what you want out of your system.

windows: large inventory of software/games
linux: stability and free/cheap software
beos: awsome for multimedia but little else
macos: userfriendlyness/ease of use

Windoze: large inventory of junky
software. Major titles are available on both platforms and manage to handle files created on either platform reasonably well. Latest games if that's important
to you. My general philosophy here is that
if gaming is THAT important, but a
PlayStation 2 is better and cheaper. Oh,
and something like 80,000 known
viruses.

Mac OS: fewer than a thousand virsues (if
you exclude macro viruses, this drops to
under 100), enough software that you can
do anything you can do on Windoze, and
consistency of the interface/ease of use
that FAR surpasses any other platform as
yet.

http://www.apple.com/myths/

is a great URL to check out.

Linux: only if you love to dink around with
your computer. A lot.

BeOS: no applications. If you think Macs
don't have any apps, BeOS will make the
Mac look like Windoze as far as
availability of applications.

p

I've always worked on Mac's, and we have also got a PC at home. I think the Mac's are much, much better. A PC is a very bad copy of a Mac. Mac is more comfortable to work with, they crash less, and they are less sensitive for virusses. And besides... who wants to give Bill Gates money?

At my office: The State of California, "they" the HQ people in Sacramento have decided that Apple products don't fit into the Pure IP standard that Information Technology just adopted for the entire State. Talk about a lack of freedom. I have a G4 at work that hardly ever crashes, prints flawlessly, surfs the internet like a speedy zapato, it's so realiable, and I am being forced onto a PC with 256M of RAM, Pentium 3 machine. I am bummed. Apple where is your sales force and marketing team? Anybody else work for the Stae and is getting their MAC yanked?

>Windoze: large inventory of junky
software. Major titles are available on
both platforms and manage to handle
files created on either platform
reasonably well. Latest games if that's
important
to you. My general philosophy here is that
if gaming is THAT important, but a
PlayStation 2 is better and cheaper. Oh,
and something like 80,000 known
viruses.
>>

Lets see, all of the major Mac apps such
as Photoshop, illustrator etc is also
available for the PC. I challenge you to
name a Mac app that does not have an
equivalent on the PC side!

>
Monopoly??? Microsoft is much more of a
monopoly than Apple. I think your
arguments are somewhat one-sided.
Very strange.
>

In the OS I guess you are partly right. But
ponder on this: with a Wintel you have
hundreds/thousands of choices when it
comes to desktop, notebooks and
software. In the wintel side you can get
AMD, you can get intel, you can get
transmeta. In more complete packages
you can get Dell, you can get IBM, you can
get Toshiba.

Apple you are stuck with their slow and
expensive hardware. Want me to prove it?

http://www.barefeats.com/pentium4.html

http://macspeedzone.com/archive/html/
hardw/misc/a/win_vs_mac/ray.html

http://www.azillionmonkeys.com/qed/
apple.html

http://www.geocities.com/sw_perf/

http://www.highend3d.com/tests/maya/
testcenter/database.3d

Not that I'm discouraging anybody to not
get a Mac but please get your facts
straight!!!

Also a Mac and a playstation2 combined
is more expensive than just buying a PC.

For the original poster, if you want a Mac
than by all means get one