Switching to Mac from PC
I know that the whole “Mac vs. PC” debate can get almost as heated as the Obama vs. Clinton race, but nonetheless I will share my story…
I have had PCs since the early 90s and really didn’t ever consider a Mac as an option. I had heard that they were good for video and graphic work, but other than that all I knew was that the vast majority of computers purchased were PCs.
I figured that is was safe to be on the side of the majority, I mean if (almost) everyone else uses PCs they must be fine. I defaulted to following the crowd. Without getting into all of the reasons why you need to tread cautiously when following the crowd, I will just say that some of the greatest things that have happened to me have been a result of NOT following the crowd. I have to admit that I think my decision to switch to a Mac can be added to the list.
My frustration with PCs
There have been 2 main sources for my frustrations with my PCs:
- Lack of stability - crashing at random and often inconvenient times
- Lack of simplicity - I often had to take 5 steps to accomplish something that should be able to be done in one or two steps
Lack of Stability
As the Apple commercial eloquently puts it, “it’s not PC’s fault.” I actually feel bad for the PC guys, because with the thousands of new pieces of software being created each day - how can they possibly keep up with it all to make sure that it “plays nice” with the rest of the computer? Apple on the other hand has worked hard to keep tabs on the software designed for it’s system. This has resulted in a fewer options, but a better assurance that it will function properly.
Lack of Simplicity
I wrote about my interest in minimalist living and my longing for a simplified life. I don’t know how to describe this other than by comparing the two against each other. In less than one week of Mac ownership I looked at three tasks that I do on a regular basis that require only a push of a button on my Mac. On my PC, these three tasks require many more steps and ultimately a lot more time to complete the task. Things like setting up a wireless network took me hours of frustration with my XP and Vista machines, but was done with no effort on my part when I got my Mac. There are so many processes that I had just adapted to on my PC that I didn’t realize how difficult they were until I saw how simple they could be on a Mac.
The Mac Mini purchase
I ended up purchasing a Mac Mini mostly because it was the cheapest option and I was still a little skeptical of whether it was worth the extra money. But the other reason was that I could still use my PC monitor, keyboard, and mouse.
Once it arrived, it was just like you would expect from Apple - simple. It came with the Mini itself, a remote control, a power cord, and a monitor adapter. I plugged my old monitor and keyboard in and powered her up. It walked me through a quick and easy set up process that lasted maybe 2 minutes and that was it.
If you have more questions about switching check out this page - it will likely have some answers for you.
The Cons of Macs
Just to be fair and give both sides of the coin, here are some of the downsides of switching to a Mac…
- Macs are more expensive for the same level of performace as a PC. Apple products are generally more expensive than their counterparts. The thing I noticed as I compared the specs of my Mac to comparable PCs is that Apple seems to include more bells and whistles than low end PC makers do. For instance I mentioned the remote control that came with the Mac I got and it also came with a built in wireless card and Bluetooth. All things that don’t come with many PCs in that price range and no you probably don’t have to have it, but it is just a nice touch.
- It is still going down in value: fast. If you think cars depreciate fast , computers can become near worthless (in resale value) in just a couple of years. Again just like cars the more it costs, the more expensive ones go down in value quicker. That said, I would liken Apple to Honda. They still depreciate but not quite as fast as a PC (Chevy) and there seems to be a decent enough demand for them in the secondary market (craigslist.org).
- You will not have as many software options as with a PC. This seems to be gradually changing as Apple gains market share, but still needs to be considered. Although, I should mention that you can now run Windows on your Mac.
Ok, let me have it - Tell me why I am wrong and why I just wasted my money on a half-eaten apple 
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Filed under How to Simplify your Life
Comments on Switching to Mac from PC »
You’re out of luck from me—I’ve got nothing but love for your decision.
I run both Mac & PC in my house. I want my kids well versed on each system, but …… MAC ROCKS!!!!!
Keep us posted on how you like it. I’ve been considering making a similar move.
I love PC’s and have not used a mac for years. However, I should not really say anything against Macs as it has been so long since I used one I am not really qualified to comment - especially as the machines I used were very out of date. Lets hope that your new purchase is as good as you hope.
Dude, welcome to the cult *ahem* I mean, club.
No, seriously, I’ve used only Macs at home and for side jobs for the past 3 years now (granted, I do work in a Windows IT environment) and have never thought of switching back. It’s worth the extra cost because of less frustration.
I think you will enjoy it. Like glblguy says, please keep us posted. I’d love to hear your frustrations and your praises.
I will keep you guys posted - so far I have nothing but praises and in fact I am a musician and I just started playing with Garageband - Wow!! That is a cool program! Anyway, I will give it a few more weeks and report back about it…
My wife has decided to start homeschooling and is asking for a laptop. I’m giving some serious consideration to getting a MacBook.
I prefer to use PCs but I don’t have any major complaints about Macs (other than little preferential things). In my opinion they are comparable systems, you can do just about anything with either, (and mac has worked hard on the file compatibility issue) so use what you prefer to use and be happy.
@Ron
I say go for it!! If you can afford it, I think you will be pleased!!
I’d like to get one someday. And I want to get Windows for it too…just in case.
I can’t imagine life without Windows for now.
I, too, have been considering a similar move. As soon as I have a few more financial things sorted out (being responsible with finances comes first!) I will be taking a good look at Mac options. (I do kind of need a new computer, probably a laptop, and the Air looks like an excellent candidate…)
After extensive research I switched to a iMac three months ago. I’ve never been happier.
At work I still have to use AutoCAD on the PC, but in general I’ve found, for my needs, only two areas of software that seem to be lacking on a mac are CAD software and Professional Financial software.
I heard (and sill hear) it up and down from my ‘nerd’ and engineer friends that Mac’s aren’t worth the money and don’t have the software. I’ve tried to tell them, but they won’t listen; they are dead wrong.
Does that mean there are no problems? No. There are several quirks and problems (as I seem them) with the Mac.
I have reservations about relying on the iMac’s internal hard drive and I don’t like the way they bury start-up items in the settings menu; and nor is there any quick way to see running processes (I know go to utilities and use the activity monitor, but that’s not quick.).
I have still yet to find a good tutorial on how to effectively use the Terminal for new people not experienced at Linux or Unix environments (and what the heck does ‘bash’ and those other types mean anyway?!). And finally, I hate the way my localhost MAMP web server has to have the :8888 port number behind it (nor have I found a clear explanation of setting up Virtual Hosts in terminal).
But usability, stability, and system resource management are top notch. I’ll never go back to Windows if I can help it.
well, I’d have to disagree with the switch to macs from a frugality stance. I personally use Linux, it’s free, opensource, and did I mention Free?
With the advancement’s that distro’s like Ubuntu have made - you guys would switch and never pay another dime for software… there’s no proprietary stuff like on the Mac, and no crappy crash stuff like on Windows…
I wouldn’t have done it. You will find many things that you cannot do with a Mac. Just get several PC’s and use the one that is working.
@Curt
“…get several PC’s and use the one that is working.” -surely that is not your response for a cost-effective solution…
I can’t tell if you are joking or not
but I do agree I have had a couple instances of things I need to do on my laptop (which is a PC). So I do have a PC for those things, but I am finding that I can find freeware for the Mac almost as easily as the PC…
Mac Users… experienced an not… Here are two websites I like to mention that lists some great software, and not to confusing either.
opensourcemac.org
bestmacsoftware.org
Although they’re similar, I prefer the first one