Old PC users wants to switch

O

Ohheck

Guest
Hi All. My first time here and I would appreciate any advice you can offer. I'm getting ready to replace my 5 year old Sony Vaio PC and am seriously considering a Mac. I have been using a PC for about 7 years now, but am not really versed on the inner workings of a computer. I bought my adult daughter an ibook a few years back after her old PC laptop failed and she loves it. I only use my computer for basic functions.....email, surfing and sometimes printing photos of my new grandson. I don't do any gaming, file sharing, downloading of music/videos, etc. I also do not intend to run any PC programs. My question.....what MAC to buy?? A friend who works for Apple says I should look at the new intel based Mac-Mini. I do a lot of surfing and would like something that will be fast in that respect. I'm on DSL. Thanks in advance for any help/advice you can offer.
 
avcabob

avcabob


Joined
Sep 21, 2004
Messages
199
Reaction score
20
Points
18
Your Mac's Specs
MacBook Pro 15" 2.16Ghz Core Duo 1GB Ram 80GB
I would say a new mini would be prefect as long as your Vaio is a desktop as the minis don't come with a monitor keyboard or mouse, and as long as your keyboard and mouse are usb so they can plug into it.
 
Z

zal


Joined
Jun 11, 2006
Messages
51
Reaction score
2
Points
8
Your Mac's Specs
BackMac Book 2Ghz Duo-Core, iMac G3(running Os X)
Mini would be perfect for you, in fact it would probably have more power than you need, its always good to have power on tap!
 
OP
K

komo

Guest
whew... all this time i think Vaio is just a laptop, never see the desktop version...
 
OP
O

Ohheck

Guest
komo said:
whew... all this time i think Vaio is just a laptop, never see the desktop version...
Click to expand...
I bought my Vaio desktop in early 2002. At that time, I paid around $1500.00 for it which included a 15" LCD flat panel. Today, their desktops and laptops are still expensive and I've come to believe that there are better options out there in the PC world as well as the Mac. That's why I'm seriously considering switching to a Mac Mini. My monitor, although analog, is in perfect shape as well as the keyboard and optical mouse.
 
OP
O

Ohheck

Guest
zal said:
Mini would be perfect for you, in fact it would probably have more power than you need, its always good to have power on tap!
Click to expand...

Which should I go for....the Solo or the Dual Core version? There's only $100 difference.
 
mac57

mac57


Joined
Apr 29, 2006
Messages
4,576
Reaction score
378
Points
83
Location
St. Somewhere
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Studio, M1 Max, 32 GB RAM, 2 TB SSD
I agree that the mini would be perfectly adequate and a good deal to boot, but you will need a new keyboard. Mac OS X and Macs in general depend on some very Mac specific keys on the keyboard. For example, to open the CD/DVD drive, you press the dedicated key on the keyboard. You need the "CMD" key (unique to Macs) for lots of things. So, at least get a new keyboard.

You may wish to consider getting an iMac though. It is a bit more expensive, but it comes with the keyboard and mouse and an integrated LCD monitor. Plus it takes up almost no space, and you can't beat it for looks. It is also more powerful than the mini by about 25% - never hurts to have more power. You appear to keep your machines for a decent period of time. You might as well equip yourself with a good Mac that will last you for a long, and have plenty of power.

Whether you get a mini or an iMac, make sure to get 1G of RAM. Nice to have today, likely will be essential in a few years. Enjoy!
 
OP
Z

zap2

Guest
Ohheck said:
Which should I go for....the Solo or the Dual Core version? There's only $100 difference.
Click to expand...



Core Duo, its much faster, and really help to improve the IIG hold back. Also get atleast 1GB of RAM
 
V

voodoodaddy


Joined
Jun 14, 2006
Messages
34
Reaction score
1
Points
8
Why are people pushing her to get 1gb of ram??? To email and surf the web??

And iMac is overkill for her as well.

Don't listen to these people, get a mini solo, its plenty for your needs.
 
OP
O

Ohheck

Guest
Thanks for all the suggestions. I will take a closer look at the iMac as well as the Mini Solo and Dual Core. Even though I just use my computer for basic functions....one can never tell what the future will bring. Even though I'm an older man, I'm not against learning new things...which is one of the reasons for my interest in getting a Mac instead of another PC. Thanks again to all for your help.
 
G

Graphite


Joined
Feb 25, 2003
Messages
5,279
Reaction score
138
Points
63
Location
Tropical Island, Jealous?
Your Mac's Specs
MacPro 3.0Ghz 16GB RAM, 4x256 Vid, 30''cinema display
I suggest a laptop. Desktops are nice, but the mini is just all around not a good buy yet (regardless of how cheap it is.). My mind has changed on the mini in the past months. If you do decide on a mac, wait until after the WWDC conference in august (7-11)
 
OP
O

Ohheck

Guest
Graphite said:
I suggest a laptop. Desktops are nice, but the mini is just all around not a good buy yet (regardless of how cheap it is.). My mind has changed on the mini in the past months. If you do decide on a mac, wait until after the WWDC conference in august (7-11)
Click to expand...

My daughters' uncle works for Apple out of Austin, TX. When I saw him last month, he mentioned something about waiting until Oct. Is that what you're referring to when you talk about the WWDC conference?? What exactly is the WWDC conference? I though it might be about a new version of the OS.
Can you elaborate on your laptop recommendation? What made you change your mind on the mini? Appreciate your input. Thanks
 
B

BlindingLights


Joined
Feb 17, 2006
Messages
688
Reaction score
26
Points
28
Your Mac's Specs
iMac 17" Intel Core Duo 1.83GHz 512 MB Ram 128 vRAM 60GB HD
Ohheck said:
My daughters' uncle works for Apple out of Austin, TX. When I saw him last month, he mentioned something about waiting until Oct. Is that what you're referring to when you talk about the WWDC conference?? What exactly is the WWDC conference? I though it might be about a new version of the OS.
Can you elaborate on your laptop recommendation? What made you change your mind on the mini? Appreciate your input. Thanks
Click to expand...

If you're gonna go laptop, macbook should suit your needs.

1 GB of RAM is nice, but I get by fine with 512. I use some intesne programs too (not super intensive, but intense enough to make a difference). 1 GB is nice, but 512 should suit your needs.

It all comes down, honestly, to what YOU think you need. I suggest you either go Macbook or Mac Mini. Macbook would be the better choice, at least that's my opinion. The Mini is a pretty basic... machine. It's just a power unit that's pretty bare in my opinion. At first, i saw it as interesting and innovative yet completely worthless, and not much has changed. But, that's me. An iMac will MORE than suit your needs, that's almost a little too powerful. Again, it's what you think. If you think you need a gig of ram, go for the gig. If you think the Mini is all right for you, go with the mini. But, when all comes down, I say you get the MacBook. It gives you a bang for your buck, and a LITTLE bit of reserve power, but not too much where you're going to the iMac.
 
OP
O

Ohheck

Guest
BlindingLights said:
If you're gonna go laptop, macbook should suit your needs.

1 GB of RAM is nice, but I get by fine with 512. I use some intesne programs too (not super intensive, but intense enough to make a difference). 1 GB is nice, but 512 should suit your needs.

It all comes down, honestly, to what YOU think you need. I suggest you either go Macbook or Mac Mini. Macbook would be the better choice, at least that's my opinion. The Mini is a pretty basic... machine. It's just a power unit that's pretty bare in my opinion. At first, i saw it as interesting and innovative yet completely worthless, and not much has changed. But, that's me. An iMac will MORE than suit your needs, that's almost a little too powerful. Again, it's what you think. If you think you need a gig of ram, go for the gig. If you think the Mini is all right for you, go with the mini. But, when all comes down, I say you get the MacBook. It gives you a bang for your buck, and a LITTLE bit of reserve power, but not too much where you're going to the iMac.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input....I will also take a look at the MacBook. I want to make sure that I get something that will last me for some time....so I don't want to end up getting something less than what I need and end up regretting that I didn't spend a few dollars more. Thanks again for you suggestions.
 
deus_ex_machina

deus_ex_machina


Joined
Aug 6, 2004
Messages
1,713
Reaction score
71
Points
48
Location
Tejas
Your Mac's Specs
2GHz Mac Mini 2GB RAM 160GB 10.6.2 | MDD DP 1.25GHz G4 1.5GB RAM 10.4.11 | 233MHz iMac G3 10.3.9
Take her to a Apple store if you can and see what she leans toward. If she's using it primarily at the house, get her a desktop like the Mini ( an iMac maybe overkill for web browsing or word processing). If she's going off to school soon and you don't want to babysit her computer (spyware, virusus and such), get her a base laptop like a MacBook. Find out first what her needs are now AND in the future - Macs have a long life, look ahead.
 
J

Jabjabs


Joined
Feb 2, 2006
Messages
168
Reaction score
3
Points
18
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Your Mac's Specs
1.25Ghz Mini, 512MB, 40GB
Personally the mini would be more than enough considering the fact you already have the keyboard and mouse. The Duo would be a nice choice especially for such a small difference in price.

Like you said, you never know what you will need it for. When I started using Mac's again I got a mini, at first it was good for internet and email but it quickly grew into much larger applications, so the extra grunt under the hood can be a useful feature down the track.
 
M

mattbokey


Joined
Jun 26, 2006
Messages
28
Reaction score
2
Points
3
Location
Hamilton, NJ
Your Mac's Specs
1.07GHz; 30GB HDD; 512MB RAM; OS 10.4; 32MB VRAM; Combo Drive
Ohheck, how are ya? If your just going to surf the net and check e-mail you do not need a new mac by any means. Honestly, IMO (in my opinion), get a used one. You don't have a need for a 1.83 GHz core duo. For what your going to use it for... its just plain' ol' over kill. I would hate to see you waste your money on something you don't need. :) Also, how fast the internet moves is primarirly based on how fast your internet connection is not the pc itself.

First what you have to decide on is whether or not you want a laptop (which I think is your best bet) or a desktop. The average price is about $600-$800... about half of a new mac.

LAPTOP
-------
If you go for a laptop you'll enjoy the benfits of bringing it where ever you want (deck, front of the house, bathroom, bedroom, etc.). Its not big an clunky. You won't have to buy an extra mouse, keyboard, or monitor). Many are equiped with a wireless card already (so you can go to places like barns and noble etc. and connect to the internet or if you have wireless at home). I would look on a place like www.techrestore.com or www.ebay.com A few good examples would be

http://techrestore.com/xcart/product.php?productid=17100&cat=254&page=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-ibook-G4-...76QQihZ005QQcategoryZ4602QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-ibook-1-3...38QQihZ002QQcategoryZ4602QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/1GHz-15-Apple-P...1QQihZ001QQcategoryZ14909QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Desktop
--------
Desktops are what your probally used to. Since there is an actual monitor, things are pretty easy to see (bigger). Everything isn't compact. They are much easier to upgrade and maintain. Not to mention they are normally cheaper then laptops. Here, the iMac is a good option, for it already comes w/ a monitor. Though, you can use your current monitor w/ the correct cable. Here are some good examples...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-17-iMac-G...ryZ80040QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-Imac-G4-1...ryZ80040QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/APPLE-MAC-MINI-...4QQihZ016QQcategoryZ86702QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem (this is pretty sweet, comes w/ a warrenty and all)
http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-Mac-MIni-...QQihZ004QQcategoryZ114190QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


I really do hope this helps and hope that you go this route instead of buying new. The G4 processor is a great processor and can easily keep up with what you want to do. If you have any questions please let me know. I have been dealing w/ computers since I was seven and currenty work full time in IT.
 
OP
O

Ohheck

Guest
mattbokey said:
Ohheck, how are ya? If your just going to surf the net and check e-mail you do not need a new mac by any means. Honestly, IMO (in my opinion), get a used one. You don't have a need for a 1.83 GHz core duo. For what your going to use it for... its just plain' ol' over kill. I would hate to see you waste your money on something you don't need. :) Also, how fast the internet moves is primarirly based on how fast your internet connection is not the pc itself.

First what you have to decide on is whether or not you want a laptop (which I think is your best bet) or a desktop. The average price is about $600-$800... about half of a new mac.

LAPTOP
-------
If you go for a laptop you'll enjoy the benfits of bringing it where ever you want (deck, front of the house, bathroom, bedroom, etc.). Its not big an clunky. You won't have to buy an extra mouse, keyboard, or monitor). Many are equiped with a wireless card already (so you can go to places like barns and noble etc. and connect to the internet or if you have wireless at home). I would look on a place like www.techrestore.com or www.ebay.com A few good examples would be

http://techrestore.com/xcart/product.php?productid=17100&cat=254&page=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-ibook-G4-...76QQihZ005QQcategoryZ4602QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-ibook-1-3...38QQihZ002QQcategoryZ4602QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/1GHz-15-Apple-P...1QQihZ001QQcategoryZ14909QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Desktop
--------
Desktops are what your probally used to. Since there is an actual monitor, things are pretty easy to see (bigger). Everything isn't compact. They are much easier to upgrade and maintain. Not to mention they are normally cheaper then laptops. Here, the iMac is a good option, for it already comes w/ a monitor. Though, you can use your current monitor w/ the correct cable. Here are some good examples...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-17-iMac-G...ryZ80040QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-Imac-G4-1...ryZ80040QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/APPLE-MAC-MINI-...4QQihZ016QQcategoryZ86702QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem (this is pretty sweet, comes w/ a warrenty and all)
http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-Mac-MIni-...QQihZ004QQcategoryZ114190QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


I really do hope this helps and hope that you go this route instead of buying new. The G4 processor is a great processor and can easily keep up with what you want to do. If you have any questions please let me know. I have been dealing w/ computers since I was seven and currenty work full time in IT.
Click to expand...

Thanks for suggesting another alternative. Actually, I have done a little browsing on ebay at some of the units listed. I'm sure that there are some good buys when it comes to used equipment. Just like buying a used car rather than a new one that will drop 5 or 6 thousand dollars when you drive it off the lot. However, when it comes to computers, I worry about buying somebody else's problems. What have they done with the computer since they bought it? Why are they wanting to sell a fairly new computer? Since I'm not overly computer savvy and do not know much about the inner workings of a computer, I feel like I could be rolling the dice when buying used...especially since most would have no warranty or other recourse available to me. I mention that because my adult daughter bought a used/refurbished PC laptop that only lasted her about a year when the screen failed. It was going to cost her over $600 dollars to have the screen replaced....needless to say she didn't have it repaired. I bought her an new ibook to replace it. She's had that for over 3 years now and she's not had any problems with it. I'm not saying that I wouldn't buy used, but I would have to feel pretty confident in what I was buying in order to do it.
 
V

voodoodaddy


Joined
Jun 14, 2006
Messages
34
Reaction score
1
Points
8
Look for a mini from the Apple refurb store, or a macbook from there if you want to spend that much. Can save $100+ and has a warranty.
 
OP
O

Ohheck

Guest
voodoodaddy said:
Look for a mini from the Apple refurb store, or a macbook from there if you want to spend that much. Can save $100+ and has a warranty.
Click to expand...

Thanks....I will check that out.
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top