why do I "need" a Mac right now?

I am using a 15" Toshiba laptop right now. There are no problems with it, but there is an appeal that the MacBooks have to me. I don't know what it is, but I sure would like to have one. Aside from that, I really don't know WHY I want one.

I am certain this has been covered, but what are the benefits to switching?

Thank you.

You didn't tell us what sort of "PC" computer you have at the moment. If it's a desktop, and you want to get a Macintosh laptop for the portability/mobility...then there's a reason. If your "PC/Windows" computer is a laptop...then I'm afraid there's not a lot of true "gotta have" reasons to get a Mac.

- Nick

Well, first and foremost, this was posted in Community Suggestions and Feedback. Let's get it moved to the right place...

As to your question -- it sounds very much like you don't "need" a Mac. If you're fed up with Windows and are ready to try something new, to me that would be a very good reason. But despite what some rabid Mac zealots would say, there is nothing inherently wrong with Windows. It gets the job done -- maybe not as elegantly or effortlessly as a Mac would, but at the end of the day they're just tools.

And just as some prefer DeWalt over Ryobi, people will prefer OS X or Linux or Windows. Switching is a matter of wanting a different experience - if you're the kind of person who embraces change, then it might be very rewarding. If not, you may find yourself disappointed.

If you're in the market for a new machine and you're leaning toward a Mac, but the wife is not, I'd suggest you visit an Apple Store and talk to someone there. This way, you'll both get a feel for it and see if it suits both yours and her fancy.

cwa107 said:

As to your question -- it sounds very much like you don't "need" a Mac.

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So true and its so hard to tell someone that the NEED a Mac when we dont know you or your wife.
We would be more help if you asked which one should i get ?? I do _________ and _______ and ________ and just not sure which one to get. Sorry but im not here to convince you or your wife that you need a Mac

Cheers

Because joo needz the one with the more Gee Bees.

Unless a software you are trying to use requirements Windows or Mac then nobody needs either one. It comes down to user experience and preference. In other words some people like driving Fords while some like driving Chevys, etc. The first time I switched to Macs I noticed they do try to make my life easier.

For example I really liked Expose when it was first introduced. It made switching between opened applications more convenient for me because I got to see a preview of each before committing to the selection. Ever since I got my MacBook Pro the trackpad has made Expose twice as convenient with the finger gestures. The built in free PDF saving option was also a nice touch because I didn't have to either buy or find a free PDF format saving tool.

There are more examples but it's a lot of things I like that just make using Mac a nice experience for me. Of course that's a subjective statement because what I like about Macs may not be what others like about it. Overall I noticed that I spend less time maintaining my Macs and just enjoy using it compared to my Windows machines.

Everyone has a different opinion based on their preferences so the best solution is to go and try one out yourself. I actually would have never switched to Macs if I had not tried one first. You may or may not like a Mac. If you do then great. If you don't then life moves on. As TattooedMac said we are not really here to convince you need a Mac. It's not a cult contrary to what some Windows users think of us. I still have Windows machines but at the end of the day I still prefer my Mac.

cwa107 said:

But despite what some rabid Mac zealots would say, there is nothing inherently wrong with Windows.

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Apart from its inherent security flaws (and deception-based marketing, but that's not really part of the OS).

If YOU don't know why you need one, you DON'T need one. And if you want something lightweight you'll find that the Toshiba Portege is lighter than the Mac Air

supermarvin76 said:

I am using a 15" Toshiba laptop right now. There are no problems with it, but there is an appeal that the MacBooks have to me. I don't know what it is, but I sure would like to have one.

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If you can't elucidate for yourself why you want one, then you really need to consider why you would buy one. Unless your rich, a computer is a significant investment and this is why you need to truly weigh the cons and benefits of owning a Mac. You don't need a Mac unless you specifically require an application offered only for OS X but if you did, you wouldn't be asking this question .

chas_m said:

Apart from its inherent security flaws (and deception-based marketing, but that's not really part of the OS).

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True but Windows also offers a lot that OS X can't such as Blu-Ray support (amongst other features/options).

cwa107 said:

there is nothing inherently wrong with Windows.

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Registry
DLL's
Virus Prone
Malware Prone


I'd say those are all pretty "inherent" problems.

FiosFiend said:

Registry
DLL's
Virus Prone
Malware Prone


I'd say those are all pretty "inherent" problems.

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I'm not getting into the age old PC vs. Mac war here. It's just not necessary, you're preaching to the choir.

What I meant by that statement was in terms of functionality. A properly maintained Windows system is just as usable as a Mac. Whether its as elegant or effortless to own and operate is another story.

cwa107 said:

I'm not getting into the age old PC vs. Mac war here. It's just not necessary, you're preaching to the choir.

What I meant by that statement was in terms of functionality. A properly maintained Windows system is just as usable as a Mac. Whether its as elegant or effortless to own and operate is another story.

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Understood, and I agree with that. I wasn't trying to start something However, I was one of those who "Properly Maintained" my windows machine and in fact I was the guy that everybody came to (and still comes to) when their windows machine had problems. I got a nasty virus that seemed to elude all the security I had in place and that was my AHA moment. Even the best maintained windows machine is still inherently more vulnerable than a Mac will ever be.

Perhaps but many of the viruses/trojans for Windows require user intervention. In the 4 years I owned my old Dell laptop (running XP), I didn't get any viruses and I ran no AV solution. I had to install Symantec once to get onto the university network but removed it shortly afterwards (so I don't count this). While that may have been a poor choice, I do believe that most of the malware/viruses that an individual get is because of poor choices by the user.

vansmith said:

Perhaps but many of the viruses/trojans for Windows require user intervention. In the 4 years I owned my old Dell laptop (running XP), I didn't get any viruses and I ran no AV solution. I had to install Symantec once to get onto the university network but removed it shortly afterwards (so I don't count this). While that may have been a poor choice, I do believe that most of the malware/viruses that an individual get is because of poor choices by the user.

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Yes, we've had the same sentiment echoed here in defense of Windows many times here. I myself have never had a machine infected by a true virus or worm in my 20-some years of using various OSes. I have gotten drive-by spyware that I didn't even know was there back in the Windows 98 days. But it hasn't been a problem since switching off of IE.

The long and the short of it is that despite what many of us would like to think, Windows is not defective by design. Is it poorly designed in a lot of ways? Yes. Is OS X a better OS altogether? In my opinion, absotutely! Is Windows functional (aside from external influences that can damage it), yes indeed it is.

cwa107 said:

And just as some prefer DeWalt over Ryobi,

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Neither. Milwaukee for my money please ! just sayin....

And to keep on track: To the OP, you don't NEED anything other than what gets the job done for you. That's the part you already knew. Otherwise, you pretty much came in here like every other person whom started a thread asking to be convinced as to why they SHOULD switch to a Mac.

And for that, there are TONS of threads which you could easily get the same answers and perspectives from, as the general attitude towards such things go much unchanged over time.

I haven't seen but maybe one "switcher" here even think of switching back and that was only because that person is a hard core PC gamer, and wanted to have a dedicated gaming machine.

I'm a 2 year convert, going on 3 very shortly.. and could NEVER see going back to using Windows unless it was for work. I won't get into the why's of it, because again.. you can find tons of threads explaining why people love OS X vs Windows in terms of functionality and also in terms of maintenance (or lack thereof).

Last word of advice, don't confuse how great certain Apple products are with the company's business philosophy. To me, they are completely separate entities and should be treated as such. I personally don't like everything about Apple, but I will never knock the things that I think are done right and which I use, such as OS X.

If you have the money just burning a hole in your pocket, I'd suggest FIRST learning the inherent differences in OS X vs. how Windows does things, so that you're not frustrated like I once was, after switching from Linux (which does things very similarly to Windows such as how Explorer works etc) then decide if you can deal with those differences and jump right in !

The water is beautiful here ....

Doug

cwa107 said:

But despite what some rabid Mac zealots would say, there is nothing inherently wrong with Windows. It gets the job done -- maybe not as elegantly or effortlessly as a Mac would, but at the end of the day they're just tools.

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Except that it's a RAM hogging pile of imitation, but agreed. Most people can get by. They'll end up spending a lot of money on stupid stuff because they got a virus and have no clue what they're doing and no desire to learn, and eventually they'll get a Mac and do the same thing. The difference is, they won't be getting a virus every year and having people tell them that their computer is going to cost 300 dollars to fix, so they might as well by a new one. Thankfully, Apple's entry point cost is so high that most typical PC repairs, bad hard drive, etc, don't make getting a new machine sound so appealing, so people will actually fix the computer they have.

You do not "need" a Mac now. You can get a alienware box of similar and load up Windows or your favourite linux distro on it and it will do pretty much everything you would want to to.

The difference is you will enjoy your time on your computer more if was a Macintosh with OS X. Less bugs, more stable, 3rd party software developers who know what they;re doing on the whole etc etc. The whole point here on not what will get the job done. Cause OS X and windows/linux will do that. The question is which is the more pleasurable experience. And which will take less of your valuable time to do. Cause we all know the less time spent working in computers the better. And if you can get a better result in less time then I think you know which one to choose.

the8thark said:

You do not "need" a Mac now. You can get a alienware box of similar and load up Windows or your favourite linux distro on it and it will do pretty much everything you would want to to.

The difference is you will enjoy your time on your computer more if was a Macintosh with OS X. Less bugs, more stable, 3rd party software developers who know what they;re doing on the whole etc etc. The whole point here on not what will get the job done. Cause OS X and windows/linux will do that. The question is which is the more pleasurable experience. And which will take less of your valuable time to do. Cause we all know the less time spent working in computers the better. And if you can get a better result in less time then I think you know which one to choose.

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To add to what has been said they offer the finest trackpad of any I have ever used.

EndlessMac said:

As TattooedMac said we are not really here to convince you need a Mac. It's not a cult contrary to what some Windows users think of us.

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Bazinga I think you hit the nail on the head here EM ......... The way the OP put his 1st post before he edited it, it felt like he wanted to be in "THE CULT" to be one of the cool kids ........ And as you stated, contrary to what a lot think, we are just ordinary people realising the OS in the Apple world is for us, superior to the Window$ OS ..

Cheers

TattooedMac said:

Bazinga I think you hit the nail on the head here EM ......... The way the OP put his 1st post before he edited it, it felt like he wanted to be in "THE CULT" to be one of the cool kids ........ And as you stated, contrary to what a lot think, we are just ordinary people realising the OS in the Apple world is for us, superior to the Window$ OS ..

Cheers

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Agree with this completely. I switched to Mac because I wanted a better computing experiences with less headaches and more productivity. I actually fought the idea of switching to the Mac but in the end my hands on research (not just what I'd heard or read) led me to the final decision to go Mac. I haven't regretted that decision for a second.