N00bie Mac Switcher

Hi there i'm on here for advice really! I'm a WIndows user to the bone, have been all my life and currantly run it at home and i use it at work and tech support it, i've been running ubuntu as well on my laptop for about a year now which i am enjoying.

However i've been watching apple mac keynotes for about a year now and everytime i finish watching them i just think, "i want a mac!!" but never had the guts to just get one. Well now the time has come! I want a mac laptop!

My only trouble is i want to be sure that a mac will do the job my system would have, if not better!

Firslty i use Adobe Audition for sound editing which is a must for me! What is a mac equivilent application for adobe audition, and is it expensive? Another thing is how powerful will i need my mac to be. I want to do all the normal home user stuff like pictures, playing music, watching dvds, all on a laptop!? I would still keep my desktop so these are not a must be i would like to know what my options are!

Thanks for the advice if you can help me..

Firstly, fear not -- Adobe makes Macintosh versions of all its products. Since a large part of the Mac user base are graphics and media design professionals, the Mac is a HUGE market for them, and they keep us well supplied. I've never heard of this particular app (Audition) before, but if it's made by Adobe, for sure there is a Mac version. And in the odd case that there isn't, there are many many other solutions for audio editing. Again, most multimedia professionals use a Mac.

Also, the "normal" house stuff is what the Mac excels at. iPhoto is THE solution for your home image management needs. iTunes and Front Row are beautiful -- the Mac may even replace the TV in your home.

The only area that the Mac is still behind is gaming -- but you already have a Windows machine for that if you're into that sort of thing. For anything else, a Mac won't leave you disappointed, trust me.

I know this all sounded like a marketing shill, but I swear, it's true.

Unfortunatly, Adobe does make a mac version of all its software, except Audition.

Depending on what you do with Audition, there are many programs that are available to you.
They include: Garageband, Logic Express, Logic 7, as well as a few others to choose from, but those are the ones you can buy from apple (garage band comes on the mac for free)

Any mac you choose should be powerfull enough for what you want to do, but the macbook pro will give you security you need to know that it is powerfull enough for the things you want (since you are doing audio it is important to know your investment will work). That is not saying the macbook will not be fine, I am sure the macbook will also be more then enough if you would like to go that route instead.

The best bet is to just head to an apple store if you have access to it. Touching, seeing, and using a the mac is an invaluable step for all serious switchers.

Also if you can make it to the apple store talk to the Genius' and people hanging around there. I know too many mac experts who just hang in Apple stores checking out the latest gear.

but first and foremost, experience it for yourself. its the best way to guage your needs.

Debating Switcher...

Right here's the problem! I want a Mac notebook, i don't know why i just want one!! I have a feeling speed inside, trouble is, i don't want to part with my money knowing that i made the wrong choice, i've always used PC's, will i regret buying a mac? I'd like some advice on why i should buy a mac notebook instead of a pc notebook!? It's as simple as that!

To help, here's some background information:

I'm a 20 year network technition for the national health service in england, i'm very technically minded, into web design, graphics etc etc. When i'm not working fulltime as a network techie for the health service, i'm a freelance nightclub dj, i used decks but i'd love to move over to a computer based system. Probaly Traktor. Just like most 20 year olds, i'm very media based, i love my bright colours, music, artwork, taking pictures etc etc and have a very large flickr account!

I've worked on Windows machines for years, and i know that they just work, but at home i run windows and ubuntu linux on a desktop machine, so i wouldnt be without games and cruisal applications that i used such as Adobe Audition. I've been watching keynotes for as long as i can remember, steve jobs really is a legend, but never owned a mac product!

Sway me guys!

I just made the switch. I havent received my mac book yet. I switched because I am tired of all the windows errors and I am just plain bored of it.

Here's the main reason why you should go with a Mac instead of a PC. You'll spend more time enjoying all the things you love doing on a computer and spend little to no time keeping the machine running optimally. That time spent checking for spyware and viruses, you can now use it productively editing your photos or composing music. You don't have to worry about your computer slowing down after a couple of months of use (i.e. Windows rot), so no more time wasted formatting just to get back up to speed.

Overall, you'll save time and have a blast using the Mac. It's designed just for people like you. You will actually ENJOY using your computer once you switch. Heck, you'll find yourself playing games less often because you don't want to even touch windows

When you edit a 3 MB pic and save it, you not saving another 3mb. Your saving the steps you took to edit said picture. So you have a 3MB original and a xxKB copy. Very efficient.

this all being said, mac's are much more expensive systems to run. if i get a macbook/pro, i want it to not be hugh amounts of money, and also i want it to keep up to speed in a couple of days time, i'm quite an intence user, and i want to use this for live mix perfermances, does the mac have what it takes?

Macs are expensive but your good to go for at least 3 years. Macs are the german car of the computer world.

kilo15 said:

Macs are expensive but your good to go for at least 3 years. Macs are the german car of the computer world.

Click to expand...

Oy... bad analogy. Let's say Macs are the Japanese car of the computer world.

But back to the topic at hand. Macs are somewhat more expensive than an equivalently equipped PC (not greatly so). PCs tend to use crappy components to keep the price point low. Essentially, you buy a brand new, outdated machine. Macs typically use top-shelf, cutting edge components. So, generally speaking, they tend to stay current longer.

Also, Mac OS feels a lot faster to me. Everyday tasks just seem a lot more responsive. A good example is boot time. It generally takes a good minute and 30 to boot a Windows machine from cold to completely usable. Macs boot up in 15 seconds and as soon as the desktop is up, you can use it.

i just switched about 3 days ago now. the only people who would regret the switch are people who dont like change, people who need everything to be plain and simple and people who dont like to do a little research here and there. im not saying this machine isnt nice and simple, it is. but regardless after 15 + years of using windows im not expecting the change to be super easy.