Anyone make the switch...and wish they hadn't?

Hi all,

As a PC user since I last used an Apple II in high school back in '88, I am considering swapping my 4 year old laptop for a Mac Book. That would mean I would now be living in a "mixed" household. I'm a DOD employee, so I may have compatibility issues with the little stuff I do bring home from work. I'm a little worried about having to get used to a new OS, Windows pretty much did what I wanted it to and hasn't given me any major problems over the years. Of course this laptop which has never had another clean install now takes half the day to boot up (okay, 8 minutes, but it might as well be.)

Why consider switching if I'm not too disgruntled with Windows? I appreciate good design and ease of use. Our family owns 4 iPods and I've had the iPhone for about 9 months, love 'em! Considering the improved Apple TV, stope those runs to the video store. I think Apple is really on the way to making technology ease our lives instead of making them more difficult (other than trying to find the $$$ for the toys!) Heck, I even bought some AAPL stock when it hit $130 last week! Sooooo...the computer seems the next logical step!

But, it's a big change, trying to decide if it will be worth, or more of a hassle. I see lots of posts on how happy people are after switching, but are there folks that wish they never made the change? And why? Are there things about Apple that detract from the experience? Were you frustrated? Just looking for some honest opinions to help make the decision.

Thanks!

Switched in Nov when I bought a Macbook to have something portable. Since then my PC is now packed away in storage and the macbook does everything.

Hey tod, hope you dont get bashed, cause your question is pretty genuine.

Let me begin by telling you that I was once an unhappy switcher. What kept me with it? The fact that my PB cost loads of money. So I started to look up ways to get used to the mac, and when I researched, I discovered features that made OSX better then Windows, to me anyways.

I wanted to switch because I was unhappy with Windows, but seeing as you dont have much of a problem, the affect might not be as intense.

What are some of the reasons you want to switch?

All the maintenance you do on Windows is completely non-existent on OSX, so thats a plus.

Plus the non-existence of viruses and the rarity of crashes

I regret not having switched sooner

I don't regret my switch at all.
But I don't think you'll find anyone here who has - or they wouldn't be here, would they?

Really, you need a good reason to switch. If you're satisfied with Windows except for the booting issues, then there is no reason to switch. If you're afraid some files or programs you require for work might not work with a Mac, there is another reason to stay with a PC. All of the little digital knick knacks your family own all work equally well with Windows.
I was taught Photoshop on a Mac in school I was familiar with OS X before I bought one so I can't really say it was a switcher. I am very happy I sold my Windows PC and don't care to go back.
But you need to have a valid need for a Mac in order to be happy with your purchase. IMO, I dont know if you have one.

It's an easy switch to make, I did it last year. If you're even a little computer savvy there's not much to it and the learning curve is really-really short.

I have a couple of legacy Windows apps I need to run and for that I use Parallels. It allows you to run Windows in a window. You can also do Boot Camp which allows you to boot your new Mac into either OSX or Windows. I like the Parallels solution personally.

You shouldn't have any problem making the switch though, you won't be sorry. Also, your Mac will work quite well with little to no intervention on your part with any Windows network.

ILoveMyMacbook said:

I don't regret my switch at all.
But I don't think you'll find anyone here who has - or they wouldn't be here, would they?

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Ahh, good point! It's tough to find a neutral forum. I'm definitely not trying to bash Apple, I like all the other products they have. I just appreciate some honest feedback on frustrations or regrets, even fleeting, you might have had after making the switch. Thanks for the honest opinions!

bryphotoguy said:

Really, you need a good reason to switch. ...
But you need to have a valid need for a Mac in order to be happy with your purchase. IMO, I dont know if you have one.

Click to expand...

My only real "need" right now is that I was going to reformat the drive on my old Windows laptop and give it to my 12 yr old daughter to use for school. (Yes, I actually do love her, she won't know the difference!) So, I'm now in the market for a new laptop after I get home from my deployment. So I can either stay the tried and true or go out on a limb and try something new. I guess I'm trying to get the buyers remorse out of the way ahead of time. ;D
Thanks!

well, i would highly recommend going to an Apple store or using a new Macbook or Macbook Pro somewhere. After you see all the user features, security features, and 'clean' desktop that Mac OS has, i am 95% positive that you will like a Mac better than your PC and like Mac OS X better than Windows! Hope this helps!

Frustrations... yesterday I got a new USB wireless modem thing for my laptop - the ads said no installation needed, but it didn't work quite that easy. I had to call tech support and they emailed me a new driver that works with leopard because both the modem and leopard are new or something like that.

But that wasn't really that much work, or too much of an annoyance.

Other than that... I can't think of anything else. ;D

I have not had any problems with my Windows machines but, have been wanting to try a Mac for some time. I figured now you can run windows on the Macs if you choose to, so what do I have to lose? I bought a Macbook as a cheep way to experience OS X and have not had the urge or need to load windows on it. My only regret is now I want to buy a couple more macs to phase out my PC's.

jayjay said:

I have not had any problems with my Windows machines but, have been wanting to try a Mac for some time. I figured now you can run windows on the Macs if you choose to, so what do I have to lose?

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Having the option to run parallels (or something similar) or bootcamp and still have windows really helped me feel "brave" enough to go ahead and buy a mac.

I hadn't had any problems with my old computer (acer notebook with xp), but I absolutely did not want vista - and that was my main motivator to look for a solution outside of windows.

I second the suggestion to go to an apple store.

FWIW, the switch was really easy for me: even though some things are different, they're not to hard to figure out - and if they are, you can ask here ;P. And there are some features that are so much more intuitive with the mac (like the using two fingers to "right click" and scroll) - that after just one day or two I was trying to use that on my old laptop without noticing! (And I was all puzzled that it wasn't responding as I expected it too, haha. )

If you are in the market for a new computer and are considering switching, then buying a Mac today is a win-win situation. If OS X doesn't work out for you, then you can still run Windows on the same machine. And you can do so knowing Apple makes some of the best computer hardware, which actually should translate into a better experience with Windows.

Not me... I only wish I had switched sooner!

I'm not sorry I bought the MBP - but I will be loading up VMware Fusion to allow me to put XP on this machine too. Why? Because like you, I have to remain compatible to the "Windows" world.. I've bought Office Mac 2004 and it's __okay__ but it's not fully compatible with some of the macros we use at work. I'm told there are work-arounds but I'm not interested in jumping through anymore hoops than absolutely necessary.
I also maintain a couple of Websites using FrontPage which will necessitate the use of Windows as I don't want to pay the piper to convert to Dreamweaver and anti-up for the software..

I will say that the MBP hardware platform (so far) is exceptional.

No Canon Printer Driver

The only regret I have is not finding a printer driver for my MF3240... I should have researched this before getting a Mac, but who woulda thought that Canon didn't bother making a driver for this printer and the Mac. Other Canon printers are sold along Mac's at discounts all the time...

Black eye for Canon, not for Apple...

I never really switched. I always wanted a Mac when I was young but did not have the $$$ for years. I bought really old Macs and loved them but they were so old and behind the times that I still had to use Windows for some things. Then finally I was able to afford a modern Mac. By that time OSX was into Jaguar 10.2 and I loved the OS. That is the main thing I like about a Mac, OSX. It makes it for me.

I still use Windows systems as it's my profession and puts $$$ in the bank, and I do my gaming on a Custom Built (by me) system, but for my own usage I would never go back to using Windows for anything except gaming.

By the way, I really like XP. To me it's the best OS Microsoft ever came out with, but for me OSX and I get along. It works with me.

I agree with others, go to an Apple store and mess around. See if OSX does not impress you.

Over a month now. Only regret is that I had not pull the trigger sooner.