- Joined
- Nov 7, 2013
- Messages
- 52
- Reaction score
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- Your Mac's Specs
- MacBook MB061LL/A 13.3" 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 1 GB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, Combo Drive
Hey guys new here and new to Macs but not Apple. I had an iPod 5 years ago and liked it a lot but lost it. I used iTunes for a couple years but (at least on the crappy PC I had at the time) it was a terrible, slow resource hog and kept getting infected with iTunes Helper.
A little more background info and my needs devices etc: I am a self publishing author and student looking at a Journalism major. So my biggest need is obviously word processing. I do very little gaming on my desktop PC, which actually isn't bad for a 4 year old Dell. I do sometimes stream or download video, even the occasional movie. I have a bad habit of leaving too many browser tabs open. I'm constantly listening to music on WMP or Spotify. I don't watch TV or play video games much anymore but I do spend a lot of time online.
I do need to print sometimes. Earlier this year I upgraded to a nice new Canon all in one with wifi access. It's pretty sweet because anyone can print from anywhere in the house.
I have a Kindle Fire HD, which is great for music (though it doesn't fit into a pant pocket) reading cheap books, playing basic games, and checking email on the go, but it's never going to have the functionality of a laptop. I don't even like writing emails on it- the app is great, but I feel like I need a real keyboard to really write.
I currently have an old "dumb" phone but I'm thinking of getting a smartphone, which would almost certainly be a Galaxy S3. I will not consider an iPhone. It's too expensive (when I can get the S3 for free) and I will not do business with AT&T or Verizon, period. I can get a better deal from Credo anyway. I currently use T-Mobile but wouldn't for a smartphone because I don't like their data policy.
I check my email several times a day. I have a Yahoo account and a Gmail account both. I prefer each for different things and get frustrated with both at times. In some ways I actually prefer the Kindle app!
So what brings me to the Mac?
In a word... Word. I'm sick to death of the piece of crap. The one program I need the most is an exercise in frustration. Microsoft never makes anything to be user friendly. Powerful maybe but intuitive or even usable? No. I should not have to take a three day (minimum) class just to learn a piece of software, unless I'm doing something like auto cad or something scientific or at least editing video.
It would be one thing if it were just a matter of feeling like I'd paid for bells and whistles that I'm not using. That's not the issue really- I got Office on the cheap through the University; I never would have paid anywhere near full price for it. It would be bad enough if I felt like all the bells and whistles were getting in the way- and I often do. It's not just that.
Word keeps doing random nonsense for no apparent reason at all. That's what broke the camel's back. I change the defaults, it changes them back. And really shouldn't Times New Roman 12 be the default anyway? Calibri 11? Seriously? Who EVER uses that? It changes my formatting without me telling it to. Often. It's impossible to ever truly clear formatting- no matter what I do there will always be some vestige of it in there somehow.
And that's just basic everyday usage. I want to format for ebooks or paperbacks? Forget it. I have to hire it done and hope it's done right. Even with a template and tutorials I can't do it myself. (And even if I did apparently it wouldn't stick.) What good does all that extra functionality do if I can't use it?
And Microsoft's online support is terrible- hard to navigate, clear as mud, and totally useless. I seriously have never seen it actually answer a question I had. Not one. Not in 18 years. Not with Word, Windows, Media Player, anything. I've always had to go elsewhere for solutions and that's a crapshoot.
I've tried Open Office, Abiword, and Google Docs over the years but all the free alternatives have their own problems, like compatibility, stability, usability, support, etc. One of my collaborators said he wouldn't touch Google Docs. It had its benefits, like the automatic cloud storage, but he nixed it pretty hard.
From what I hear Pages is completely superior to Word in every way, including functionality, but especially ease of use. I'm willing to bet I can eventually find a template for Pages that will basically format a 6 x 9 paperback or ebook for me.
And it's not just Word. That's just the biggest everyday problem. There are others, ranging from $90 a year for anitvirus and tune up from AVG (both seem needed just to keep the PC functional at this point) performance issues, the looming shadow of Windows 8...
I'm sick of feeling like I need an A+ certification just to use my computer. I gave up on becoming a computer technician for a reason. I'm just not that technical. I don't have that much patience for this stuff. I'm an artist, not an engineer. I don't want to have to fuss over my tools. I want the thing to just work, to be intuitive and reliable. Just. Work.
I've long been interested in Macs for exactly that reason. I've heard they meet that criteria but have their own problems, starting with the fact that you're paying at least 50% more (if not double) for the same power. While I'm tired of Microsoft's BS, I hear Apple has their own.
So I did a little digging (not enough apparently, I wish I'd found this site first) and took the plunge- sort of. I did hedge my bet. I cannot afford to spend $1000 on a computer (especially such an unfamiliar one) at this point. Maybe in 3 years but not now. I figured I could use a laptop for both writing and school. So I thought why not take a look and see if I can find a cheap Mac.
Amazingly I did. No, it's not broken. It's just old, about 6 years. No it's not great. It only has 1 gig of RAM, but it does have a dual core processor for all my multitasking. The warranty is very short- 90 days. The hard drive is small but I'm not using it for gaming or movies, basically just writing and doc files are tiny. It's not great, but it was only $250 including fairly fast shipping and the seller, Pacific Macs, was one of the best reviewed on Amazon. Here's the link:
Amazon.com: Apple MacBook MB061LL/A 13.3" Notebook PC (2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 1 GB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, Combo Drive) White: Computers & Accessories
I'll have it tonight when I get home. I'll come back here when I've had a chance to tinker with it a bit.
I always buy computers referbed. Always. It's cheaper and greener and I'm not a power user. I don't need the latest and greatest.
Worst case scenario I'm out one paycheck and I learn some lessons. I can live with that. Best case scenario I find the long term solution to my computing woes. If this old junker lasts through the rest of school it will be well worth it. If it lasts until I graduate and find a decent paying job and proves to be much better than a PC then I will shell out the $1000 for a newer one.
Anyway, thanks for reading all of this. Any words of wisdom or encouragement? I've read most of the stickies and some of Apple's own materials on switching.
A little more background info and my needs devices etc: I am a self publishing author and student looking at a Journalism major. So my biggest need is obviously word processing. I do very little gaming on my desktop PC, which actually isn't bad for a 4 year old Dell. I do sometimes stream or download video, even the occasional movie. I have a bad habit of leaving too many browser tabs open. I'm constantly listening to music on WMP or Spotify. I don't watch TV or play video games much anymore but I do spend a lot of time online.
I do need to print sometimes. Earlier this year I upgraded to a nice new Canon all in one with wifi access. It's pretty sweet because anyone can print from anywhere in the house.
I have a Kindle Fire HD, which is great for music (though it doesn't fit into a pant pocket) reading cheap books, playing basic games, and checking email on the go, but it's never going to have the functionality of a laptop. I don't even like writing emails on it- the app is great, but I feel like I need a real keyboard to really write.
I currently have an old "dumb" phone but I'm thinking of getting a smartphone, which would almost certainly be a Galaxy S3. I will not consider an iPhone. It's too expensive (when I can get the S3 for free) and I will not do business with AT&T or Verizon, period. I can get a better deal from Credo anyway. I currently use T-Mobile but wouldn't for a smartphone because I don't like their data policy.
I check my email several times a day. I have a Yahoo account and a Gmail account both. I prefer each for different things and get frustrated with both at times. In some ways I actually prefer the Kindle app!
So what brings me to the Mac?
In a word... Word. I'm sick to death of the piece of crap. The one program I need the most is an exercise in frustration. Microsoft never makes anything to be user friendly. Powerful maybe but intuitive or even usable? No. I should not have to take a three day (minimum) class just to learn a piece of software, unless I'm doing something like auto cad or something scientific or at least editing video.
It would be one thing if it were just a matter of feeling like I'd paid for bells and whistles that I'm not using. That's not the issue really- I got Office on the cheap through the University; I never would have paid anywhere near full price for it. It would be bad enough if I felt like all the bells and whistles were getting in the way- and I often do. It's not just that.
Word keeps doing random nonsense for no apparent reason at all. That's what broke the camel's back. I change the defaults, it changes them back. And really shouldn't Times New Roman 12 be the default anyway? Calibri 11? Seriously? Who EVER uses that? It changes my formatting without me telling it to. Often. It's impossible to ever truly clear formatting- no matter what I do there will always be some vestige of it in there somehow.
And that's just basic everyday usage. I want to format for ebooks or paperbacks? Forget it. I have to hire it done and hope it's done right. Even with a template and tutorials I can't do it myself. (And even if I did apparently it wouldn't stick.) What good does all that extra functionality do if I can't use it?
And Microsoft's online support is terrible- hard to navigate, clear as mud, and totally useless. I seriously have never seen it actually answer a question I had. Not one. Not in 18 years. Not with Word, Windows, Media Player, anything. I've always had to go elsewhere for solutions and that's a crapshoot.
I've tried Open Office, Abiword, and Google Docs over the years but all the free alternatives have their own problems, like compatibility, stability, usability, support, etc. One of my collaborators said he wouldn't touch Google Docs. It had its benefits, like the automatic cloud storage, but he nixed it pretty hard.
From what I hear Pages is completely superior to Word in every way, including functionality, but especially ease of use. I'm willing to bet I can eventually find a template for Pages that will basically format a 6 x 9 paperback or ebook for me.
And it's not just Word. That's just the biggest everyday problem. There are others, ranging from $90 a year for anitvirus and tune up from AVG (both seem needed just to keep the PC functional at this point) performance issues, the looming shadow of Windows 8...
I'm sick of feeling like I need an A+ certification just to use my computer. I gave up on becoming a computer technician for a reason. I'm just not that technical. I don't have that much patience for this stuff. I'm an artist, not an engineer. I don't want to have to fuss over my tools. I want the thing to just work, to be intuitive and reliable. Just. Work.
I've long been interested in Macs for exactly that reason. I've heard they meet that criteria but have their own problems, starting with the fact that you're paying at least 50% more (if not double) for the same power. While I'm tired of Microsoft's BS, I hear Apple has their own.
So I did a little digging (not enough apparently, I wish I'd found this site first) and took the plunge- sort of. I did hedge my bet. I cannot afford to spend $1000 on a computer (especially such an unfamiliar one) at this point. Maybe in 3 years but not now. I figured I could use a laptop for both writing and school. So I thought why not take a look and see if I can find a cheap Mac.
Amazingly I did. No, it's not broken. It's just old, about 6 years. No it's not great. It only has 1 gig of RAM, but it does have a dual core processor for all my multitasking. The warranty is very short- 90 days. The hard drive is small but I'm not using it for gaming or movies, basically just writing and doc files are tiny. It's not great, but it was only $250 including fairly fast shipping and the seller, Pacific Macs, was one of the best reviewed on Amazon. Here's the link:
Amazon.com: Apple MacBook MB061LL/A 13.3" Notebook PC (2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 1 GB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, Combo Drive) White: Computers & Accessories
I'll have it tonight when I get home. I'll come back here when I've had a chance to tinker with it a bit.
I always buy computers referbed. Always. It's cheaper and greener and I'm not a power user. I don't need the latest and greatest.
Worst case scenario I'm out one paycheck and I learn some lessons. I can live with that. Best case scenario I find the long term solution to my computing woes. If this old junker lasts through the rest of school it will be well worth it. If it lasts until I graduate and find a decent paying job and proves to be much better than a PC then I will shell out the $1000 for a newer one.
Anyway, thanks for reading all of this. Any words of wisdom or encouragement? I've read most of the stickies and some of Apple's own materials on switching.