Hi

 

I am thinking of geting a macbook pro and moving away from windows. Sick and tirede of re-installing windows every 6 months.

 

The plan is to use vmware/paralells for the win apps.

 

What I do not want to do is buy the mac and end up just using windows through it all the time.

Or get really fustrated with the mac keyboard.

 

Has anyone else done this and experienced this?

I was going to move over to a mac but decided not to in the end as windows 7 was just released and I wasn't sure of the move since using windows since, forever!

 

Gotta say new laptop with windows 7 has been great so far, not regretting ditching the mac idea.

I had the same thoughts exactly and went out and got a second hand imac G5 22".

 

It was a nice piece of kit - but in the end, I missed windows. I guess I was just too stuck in my ways to switch.

 

Take a look on gumtree, or where I got mine from (scrumpy macs). Also, I found that I would have had a lot more software options if I'd have got an intel mac, rather than the G5.

 

I now have a windows 7 laptop, and couldn't be happier.

The good news is a lot of the new features on windows 7 mirror some of the user exsperience feature we are used to on mac. More descriptive button ie "Save"/"Don't Save" a convinient downloads folder are the two of quite a few I have noticed.

 

Macs do look sexier though, just putting it out there!

Mac all the way! I made the switch in 2006 and never looked back. They are much easier and less stressful, although I have not used Win 7 so I don't know whether they like to regularly crash when you want to multitask. If you want a really nice, well thought out operating system and lovely designed applications to work with get a mac. Of course as a developer I still use XP for browser testing purposes, so I use Boot Camp for that.

Windows 7 is great, but I am tempted to move to the dark side

I switched from a mac to windows and found that windows was a lot nicer for me personally to use. Now my Mac...ohh be it an old one just sits there and occasionally gets turned on if I feel the need to check a site looks ok on a mac based browser.

 

So it is very much a personal preference.

 

 

Yes Macs look pretty but I custom built my PC so my PC looks even prettier than a mac

Vista made a lot of people jump over aswell so many of the previous win(now mac) users have not used win 7 . It would be nice to see what they think of win7.

The good news is a lot of the new features on windows 7 mirror some of the user exsperience feature we are used to on mac. More descriptive button ie "Save"/"Don't Save" a convinient downloads folder are the two of quite a few I have noticed.

 

Macs do look sexier though, just putting it out there!

 

Thats very true, the mac notebooks look amazing. And they seem so minimalistic.

I converted to the Mac side in 2006, and I will never go back to Windows. I don't argue for or against the systems, it's complete personal preference. I prefer a system which is locked down, but solid ... not open for changes, but sketchy.

 

I splashed out on a brand new 2.8 GHz MacBook Pro 15" about 4 months, and it is truly outstanding. It's so fast for the hardware specifications, and it just works. I do run Windows 7, I got a legal free copy as I'm doing a Computer Science course at Uni (I don't know why that entitles me, but it does). I really like W7, it's very impressive.

 

I use VMWare Fusion to dual boot W7. Back in 2006 I was worried about the same thing you are; will I just use Windows? I used it to play Call of Duty 2 (blast from the past), and that was pretty much it. There's so many rumours about what Macs can't do, a lot of them aren't true. The worst one being, 'you can't right-click'. That's just ridiculous these days. Just because you can't run certain freeware on a Mac, doesn't mean you can't get the job done. A Mac opens and edits almost any file straight out of the box.

 

In my opinion, the keyboard for a Mac == Windows with the exception of a few symbols. For all your shortcuts, 9/10 times the same shortcut will be used on a Mac, but using the CMD key instead of CTRL.

 

Macs are over-priced, yes. But they look stunning, they operate well, and OS X is pennies compared to Windows. I'm using my 20" Intel iMac from 2006 to write this post, it's running the latest OS X (10.6.2), and it runs smooth as the day I got it with Tiger.

 

Here's a little (reduced via imageshack) screenshot of my beloved new MacBook Pro with W7 running within. You can make W7 full-screen, but for the purpose of the shot, I didn't. It's seemless.

 

I switched from windows to mac in 2007 and TBH mac is much better for me I bought an imac from ebay and all the software I needed and it's never crashed once I run dreamweaver, fireworks, flash, indesign, afteraffect at the same time and it doesn't flinch. top notch bit of kit i'd go for mac.

 

Once you go mac you never go back

@andyl oh how I miss my Computer Science entitlement to free software!

 

I am the only Windows user in an agency full of Apple-fans. The debate normally boils down to two issues

- Reliability

- Cost

 

I think the reliability can be summed up pretty well by a conversation I had recently with my mac-lovin friend John:

http://johnonolan.tumblr.com/post/279227443/macs-they-just-break-in-a-more-aesthetic-way

 

At the end of the day I really don't think Macs are much more reliable - where I work they are always crashing, going slow, having issues. But of course when my Windows machine does something odd everyone shouts "urgh, windows, get a mac!" without remembering how many times they've struggled with their Mac recently. We all know love is blind!

 

Yes Macs are pretty, yes the OS is nice and has some awesome features. Yep it's locked down such that the software you install (which is where Windows problems stem from) is generally better quality. But if you're a coder or web-designer you ain't half gonna struggle without a # key! Plus the lack of keyboard control for dialogs would really wind me up.

 

Windows 7 is a pretty decent OS. It's pretty like a mac, it does cool swishy things like a mac. It's also a lot more stable.

 

That just leaves cost as the issue - and it's clear who the winner is here. I was recently looking at getting an intel mac of any form just to do iPhone App development. My Mac-fan-friends said things like "oh yeah you can pick up a cheap one on ebay". Cheap like £400 for a mac mini? £400 would be enough to upgrade my entire desktop to the latest specs. £400 would buy the average user an entirely new machine.

 

I also don't like the idea of purchasing a prebuilt PC or Mac. You never know what you're getting. Much better and cheaper to buy the parts and build it yourself. Then you know EXACTLY what's in the box and you can guarantee the craftsmanship that put the thing together.

 

But that's just me I'm a PC.

Edited January 21, 201016 yr by ErisDS

@andyl oh how I miss my Computer Science entitlement to free software!

 

Crazy isn't it?! All M$ products are free for me, the professional editions.

 

But if you're a coder or web-designer you ain't half gonna struggle without a # key!

 

If that's a joke, I'm too tired and didn't get it. Otherwise, that's just another ridiculous rumour.

I'm again typing this message on a #Mac#

Where's the ££££?

On my wireless keyboard (same model);

 

Shift + 3 = £

Alt + 3 = #

 

If you buy a US keyboard, it won't have a £ sign - so kinda irrelevant picture above

Where's the ££££?

 

On my iMac/MacBook Pro keyboard, it's where the number 3 is. And a hash is achieved by holding Alt + 3.

 

But anyway. Personally, I would say if you want a well designed, robust laptop with a great OS, nicely designed software, little hassle, a machine that just 'works' without a hitch, then get a Mac.

 

If you want to spend an hour uninstalling/reformatting your machine when you get it, to get rid of all the crapware, then spend another hour installing drivers, then have it get cluttered over a few months of use, keep crashing and getting numerous viruses, then get a PC.

 

This may seem a little fanboy-ish, but it is in fact reality.

 

I was a huge fan of Windows a year or Two ago, then I discovered Macs. It's true what they say - Once you go Mac, you don't go back (unless you're Dizi (dizzy) of course).

If you want to spend an hour uninstalling/reformatting your machine when you get it, to get rid of all the crapware, then spend another hour installing drivers

 

Reinstalling Windows 7 takes about 10-20 minutes dependent on hardware speed. Windows 7 does not require you to install any drivers unless you have some sort of non-standard device. The only device Windows 7 did not recognise on install on my machine is my Matrix Orbital LCD screen.

 

I'm waiting to see if it gets cluttered and slow like all other versions and will keep you posted!

In any debate like this there is always some prat who butts in with a mention of Linux...

 

This time it's me!

 

LINUX FTW!!!!

Linux systems are good, they're better if you have the effort to modify your chosen system drastically.

I've installed Ubuntu on my MacBook Pro - it's nice, but still got that 'homemade' feel. It's just not as perfect as W7 or OS X, which is fair enough since it's all open source.

 

However, for the price tag, it's outstanding.

Just about to upgrade to Win7 over the weekend on main PC. Laptop runs Win7. Other laptop runs media centre. Other laptop has Ubuntu installed.

 

I'd like a Mac but just can't afford those silly prices.

I must confess, I'd love to try a Mac out (donations welcome) simply for the UNIX/LINUX similarities and to see what it looks like but I will never pay out my hard earned cash on an unnecessary, presumed luxury (yes, I'm tight )

I simply can't afford/justify the price.

I must confess, I'd love to try a Mac out (donations welcome) simply for the UNIX/LINUX similarities and to see what it looks like but I will never pay out my hard earned cash on an unnecessary, presumed luxury (yes, I'm tight )

I simply can't afford/justify the price.

 

Amen to that.

I must confess, I'd love to try a Mac out (donations welcome) simply for the UNIX/LINUX similarities and to see what it looks like but I will never pay out my hard earned cash on an unnecessary, presumed luxury (yes, I'm tight )

I simply can't afford/justify the price.

I would never buy a mac now (the one I have was given to me) but I would still choose OS X over windows. Linux is my favourite OS, and as far as similarities between Mac and Linux go, think of OS X as being like linux without all the cool bits

Linux is my favourite OS, and as far as similarities between Mac and Linux go, think of OS X as being like linux without all the cool bits

 

haha, I knew there was a reason I liked you

Linux is great and if you have a thorough understanding of how it works internally you can pretty much do anything, hense the reason we use it as our primary OS for webservers/dns servers and proxies. However for general use, both at home and work i'll stick to Win7 as most of the downfalls in vista have been fixed and the features they've added are imo fairly intuitive.

In any debate like this there is always some prat who butts in with a mention of Linux...

 

This time it's me!

 

LINUX FTW!!!!

 

Glad someone mentioned it lol. Saved me having to!

 

... as far as similarities between Mac and Linux go, think of OS X as being like linux without all the cool bits

 

LOL

 

I have access to all 3 systems. My PC is Windows, My main laptop is Linux, and I have a g4 mac. And I've gotta say Linux wins with me EVERY time.

 

My linux is prettier than ANY mac OS, DEFINITELY prettier than WinBlows. And obviously it's far more stable than windows will ever be.

 

Plus, using linux makes you a better designer

For me you just can't beat the amount of choice you get with linux when it comes to getting software. And it's a reliable platform for coding too.

Use Mac for all my freelance and personal stuff, at work i have to use windows for corporate stuff and mac for everything else.

 

Could never go back to Windows full time though, or use it for my freelance stuff. Just too damn unreliable!

Don't forget Sun Virtualbox if you're looking to run windows from within OSX - it's free! You can have an installation of XP with IE6, one with IE7 and a version of Windows 7 with IE8 for testing as separate installations. It's a good solution.

 

As for the keyboard, the mac keyboard looks good but for programming it's not ideal - same goes for the mouse - I'd recommend trying out a few alternatives.

 

Edit: I'd also say that while Linux is a great OS it does not have native Adobe Apps (Creative Suite) - I think this puts a lot of people off.

The Mac price tag just cant be justified. I can build a machine with the same specification for far less!

Edit: I'd also say that while Linux is a great OS it does not have native Adobe Apps (Creative Suite) - I think this puts a lot of people off.

Adobe is over-rated. GIMP and Inkscape handle graphics well enough for any web project. The only real drawback for a developer on linux is getting IE to work. Now that is a pain in the @rse

Use Mac for all my freelance and personal stuff, at work i have to use windows for corporate stuff and mac for everything else.

 

Could never go back to Windows full time though, or use it for my freelance stuff. Just too damn unreliable!

 

 

Windows hasn't failed for me ever. 6gb ram, 64bit.

Adobe is over-rated. GIMP and Inkscape handle graphics well enough for any web project. The only real drawback for a developer on linux is getting IE to work. Now that is a pain in the @rse

 

When you get sent an .ai or .psd file by someone it does come in handy! (or do those apps handle these file formats?). I don't doubt that the free apps are fine (in some respects better - less bloat i'd imagine) than Adobe/CS, but you can't deny that it is industry standard - and I'm not saying that this makes it better.

 

Have you tried Virtualbox for your IE testing? http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

I use the same images on Windows/OSX and Linux, no problem.

Mac all the way, switched about 6 yrs ago. Will never go back. I have to use Vista for work which doesn't seem to be very logical. I'd never go back to windows. Macs are expensive yes but in terms of bang for your buck it's mac all the way.

 

Plus macs keep their value very well. I've sold 2 macs 2 years on for about 80% of what I paid. A PC is pretty much worthless after 2 years.

MAC vs WINDOWS = can of worms all over the floor.

 

As already mentioned, it's a decision based on your requirements and preference. I've been using windows since the bad old days of win 3.1 when my parents bought me my first PC for school. For me, using a macs 1 button mouse just feels really weird and the OS is quite different. I can see the attraction though, it certainly is stylish and if there's one thing Apple can do, its make something look nice!

 

I've used macs plenty of times but can never imagine owning one or wanting to use one on a daily basis. There's too many reasons stacked against them. What you should also bear in mind is the underlying system ie-mac or pc.

 

• performance to price = PC (in a big way)
  
• upgradability = PC (again, in a big way)
  
• flexibility = PC
  
• available software and support = PC/windows
  
• OS functionality/flexibilty (kinda linked with above) = windows
  
• OS usability = macs are simple and intuitive making common tasks look and feel effortless. Also, a mac renders on-screen graphics much better than windows (win 7 is getting closer). windows is a little more involved, not as intuitive and can sometimes be quite annoying but generally ok.
  
• design/styling = with windows 7 this is harder to call, depends the person. Same goes for external styling. Some people like aluminium and white shiney surfaces and some don't.
  
• reliability = mac due to apples strict controls and limited market exposure. A hell of a lot more is asked of windows and has come a long way. Often, issues arise from hardware compatibility or how the system is being used. My XP install hasn't caused me any major problems for over a year. But then, I built my PC choosing compatible parts and use windows in a way that reduces the chance of a problem.
  
• value = PC
  
• not giving a crap about the above and buying what makes you feel happy = priceless
  

 

When all things are considered a mac just hasn't got the sway for me. And in the context of web design/dev a windows machine is just too flexible and well supported not too mention how easiliy I can upgrade the underlying system.

 

Maybe if I were a designer working on magazine artwork, flyers, high-end designs, etc then a mac would suit more.

 

Of course, this is only my opinion.

Plus macs keep their value very well. I've sold 2 macs 2 years on for about 80% of what I paid. A PC is pretty much worthless after 2 years.

This is both crazy and impressive and also very true. A friend of mine has sold a couple of his old macs and got back more than half of what he paid. For what someone paid they could have got a complete brand new PC system with much better performance cheaper! That pointy eared barsteward in star trek would find it most illogical!

 

each to their own I guess, life would be boring if everyone were the same

Don't forget Sun Virtualbox if you're looking to run windows from within OSX - it's free! You can have an installation of XP with IE6, one with IE7 and a version of Windows 7 with IE8 for testing as separate installations. It's a good solution.

 

You should try using 'IETester'. It runs the render engine for IE 5.5 -> 8 in the tabs you select.

( http://www.my-debugbar.com/wiki/IETester/HomePage )

 

For me, using a macs 1 button mouse just feels really weird and the OS is quite different.

 

If your only experience of a Mac is of one which used a single mouse button, perhaps you're the best person to be posting such judgemental lists of pros and cons. Though I agree with a lot of it

Macs have been using two mouse buttons for nearly 10 years now. (Source: http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2000/10/39773 )

If your only experience of a Mac is of one which used a single mouse button, perhaps you're the best person to be posting such judgemental lists of pros and cons. Though I agree with a lot of it

Macs have been using two mouse buttons for nearly 10 years now. (Source: http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2000/10/39773 )

I'm the best person, thanks very much .... I'm guessing theres a 'not' missing from that sentence though

 

I've used macs a fair bit and have friends that use them all the time. They tend to prefer a silly one-click mouse for some reason. I swear one of them just bought a macbook pro with one mouse button, can't be sure of that though. I'm certainly no expert! Just my observations and experiences.

I'm the best person, thanks very much .... I'm guessing theres a 'not' missing from that sentence though

 

I've used macs a fair bit and have friends that use them all the time. They tend to prefer a silly one-click mouse for some reason. I swear one of them just bought a macbook pro with one mouse button, can't be sure of that though. I'm certainly no expert! Just my observations and experiences.

 

 

It's a simple setting you change in the control panel to configure either a Mouse or Laptop Scroll Pad to be able to right click.

 

Also while on the topic of 'mice' (?), the new Magic Mouse is probably the best mouse ever made

I'm the best person, thanks very much .... I'm guessing theres a 'not' missing from that sentence though

 

I've used macs a fair bit and have friends that use them all the time. They tend to prefer a silly one-click mouse for some reason. I swear one of them just bought a macbook pro with one mouse button, can't be sure of that though. I'm certainly no expert! Just my observations and experiences.

 

Ah, tiredness

My post sounded slightly arrogant too - I didn't mean it to, my apologies.

 

Well, in some cases a new Mac will default the mouse settings to use 'one-click'; you can easily change that by going to Sys. Prefs. -> Mouse

 

EDIT:

 

Also while on the topic of 'mice' (?), the new Magic Mouse is probably the best mouse ever made

 

Must agree with you there, the scrolling and multi-touch is just genius.