I am a recent switcher...I got a MacBook Pro in December. While I like my Mac a lot more than my PC, I do still have some complaints and some things that were difficult to get used to. These complaints I have could be due to the fact that I am a new Mac user, but they are complaints nonetheless. If you have any advice, it's welcome; if you are considering switching, perhaps some of this will be helpful in making your decision. Like I said, though, despite my complaints I'm still happy with my computer for the most part.
1. UPDATES. EEEEUUURRRRGGGHHHH!!!! Almost every time I have installed an update, something has happened to my computer. The first time I did it, which was the day after I got my Mac in the mail, my computer had a lot of trouble going from sleeping to working (when I lifted up the screen). The next time, I installed an update that was supposed to fix a problem I had with my keyboard suddenly not working every ten minutes or so. It didn't work--in fact it made the problem worse. I had to wait until the next day for ANOTHER update to come out to fix the PREVIOUS update. It was a huge hassle.
Most recently, I installed an update this week and upon restarting my computer, it asked me for my registration information. I would go through and give it all my info, and then it would make me do it over and over again! It would never end, no matter how many times I did it. It wouldn't let me force quit and froze every time I tried to exit the setup. I eventually had to reinstall the operating system, which took hours and I had a paper due. Needless to say, I was upset. I don't think a computer that costs close to $3000 with all the bells and whistles should cause me problems like this.
2. BRIGHTNESS. Sometimes when I'm working on my computer, the screen will suddenly become dimmer. And not just a little bit--it will get to the point that I can barely see anything. This gets really frustrating. It happens at random times, no matter whether my computer is plugged in or not. I know nothing is obstructing the light-sensor thing below the screen either.
3. E-MAIL. Ugh. The e-mail client that my Mac came with is terrible! It's slow and doesn't always receive all of my messages for some reason. I have just been using gmail so I don't see why it should be such a problem.
4. SOFTWARE. I think it's really cool that I can download so much software for free for my Mac. The only thing is, a lot of the software that came with my computer, which I'm sure figured into it being so much more expensive than a PC, I never use. While the whole "Spaces" program is a good idea in theory, it's really not practical for use on a 15-inch screen. Same with Front Row. It's cool to show my friends these things but I don't find much use for them.
5. NETFLIX. This isn't really Apple's fault. I should have looked into it more. But it is frustrating that while I get unlimited viewing time online through my Netflix account, I can't watch them on my laptop. This is the only time I have felt "held back" by owning a Mac, though, so I don't buy it when people complain that a Mac can't do enough things and therefore people shouldn't buy them.
6. IT THINKS FOR ME. This can be really convenient sometimes, and other times it drives me up a wall. My computer seems to have a mind of its own. If I "x" out of a program, it doesn't really quit it like it did on my PC. It still has the little glowing blue light. If my computer is acting up, there isn't an easy way to figure out what the problem is like with my PC. It wants to do its own thing and give me the spinning wheel of death until I can't take it anymore. Anyone who tries to tell you Macs don't freeze is lying.
Anyway. Glad I got that out of my system. Like I said, I could be really wrong or just not understanding my computer fully with these complaints. But the one thing that REALLY irks me is the updates.
1. UPDATES. EEEEUUURRRRGGGHHHH!!!! Almost every time I have installed an update, something has happened to my computer. The first time I did it, which was the day after I got my Mac in the mail, my computer had a lot of trouble going from sleeping to working (when I lifted up the screen). The next time, I installed an update that was supposed to fix a problem I had with my keyboard suddenly not working every ten minutes or so. It didn't work--in fact it made the problem worse. I had to wait until the next day for ANOTHER update to come out to fix the PREVIOUS update. It was a huge hassle.
Most recently, I installed an update this week and upon restarting my computer, it asked me for my registration information. I would go through and give it all my info, and then it would make me do it over and over again! It would never end, no matter how many times I did it. It wouldn't let me force quit and froze every time I tried to exit the setup. I eventually had to reinstall the operating system, which took hours and I had a paper due. Needless to say, I was upset. I don't think a computer that costs close to $3000 with all the bells and whistles should cause me problems like this.
2. BRIGHTNESS. Sometimes when I'm working on my computer, the screen will suddenly become dimmer. And not just a little bit--it will get to the point that I can barely see anything. This gets really frustrating. It happens at random times, no matter whether my computer is plugged in or not. I know nothing is obstructing the light-sensor thing below the screen either.
3. E-MAIL. Ugh. The e-mail client that my Mac came with is terrible! It's slow and doesn't always receive all of my messages for some reason. I have just been using gmail so I don't see why it should be such a problem.
4. SOFTWARE. I think it's really cool that I can download so much software for free for my Mac. The only thing is, a lot of the software that came with my computer, which I'm sure figured into it being so much more expensive than a PC, I never use. While the whole "Spaces" program is a good idea in theory, it's really not practical for use on a 15-inch screen. Same with Front Row. It's cool to show my friends these things but I don't find much use for them.
5. NETFLIX. This isn't really Apple's fault. I should have looked into it more. But it is frustrating that while I get unlimited viewing time online through my Netflix account, I can't watch them on my laptop. This is the only time I have felt "held back" by owning a Mac, though, so I don't buy it when people complain that a Mac can't do enough things and therefore people shouldn't buy them.
6. IT THINKS FOR ME. This can be really convenient sometimes, and other times it drives me up a wall. My computer seems to have a mind of its own. If I "x" out of a program, it doesn't really quit it like it did on my PC. It still has the little glowing blue light. If my computer is acting up, there isn't an easy way to figure out what the problem is like with my PC. It wants to do its own thing and give me the spinning wheel of death until I can't take it anymore. Anyone who tries to tell you Macs don't freeze is lying.
Anyway. Glad I got that out of my system. Like I said, I could be really wrong or just not understanding my computer fully with these complaints. But the one thing that REALLY irks me is the updates.
