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Switcher Hangout (Windows to Mac)
What group is the mac targeted at, and is it for me?
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<blockquote data-quote="chas_m" data-source="post: 1148512"><p>Welcome!</p><p></p><p>Macs are generally targeted at two VERY broad and diverse groups: Consumers and Creative Professionals (or those who want to become Creative Professionals, but it seems rude to call them Creative Amateurs!). <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>Is it for you? Depends.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>A very fair-minded statement. You should really try to find either an Apple Store or a high-quality independent Mac dealer near you and give them a bit more of a spin. If there's nothing around, maybe there's someplace that sells iPads near you? I find that people who handle an iPad for about five minutes or so suddenly have "the veil lifted" and begin to understand why Apple rocks so hard. It's uncanny (I was going to say magical but people never believe me when I say that). It's not the same as a PC but it's not just about the hardware (or even just about the OS).</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>One of the first things you will discover (should you decide to switch) is that you don't need all those excess specs to do the same things when you have a computer that is beautifully designed to work hand-in-hand with the OS and programs. IOW, a Mac of lesser specs can often run rings around a Windows box, though of course most Macs are not really of lesser specs. I, for example, appreciate not *HAVING* to use MS software if I don't want to, and I appreciate the option of being able to run any of the three major operating systems (and many others) simultaneously, giving me access to basically every computer program on earth should I desire it. But that's not your priority.</p><p></p><p>Macs are generally designed with the needs of people who want to <em>make things</em> in mind, so people who don't want to make things and just want to play games may think Macs are underspec'd. Ironically, the professionals who MAKE all that entertainment such people passively consume don't feel the same way about Macs at all.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I have yet to run across current or recent iMac that can't handle 1080p video without issue, or can't play most high-end games at standard or better settings. This is the part where you should really try out the machines rather than base your opinion on a spec sheet.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Hard-core gaming is developed and marketed with PC users in mind, and thus it remains a very solid platform on which to do that activity. I prefer a computer that helps me make lots of money and has been statistically shown to be more efficient, productive and profitable than any Windows computer, but that's just a different priority I guess.</p><p></p><p>I don't game all that much, and when I do I find that video consoles like the Wii, XBox, PS3 do the job enjoyably enough that I don't feel the need to devote thousands of dollars to making a PC do that job. I'm kind of a right-tool-for-the-job sort of person ... that's why I don't yet have an iPad -- I haven't got time these days to use it! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> Again, a different viewpoint.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Really, they do not. There are no Mac viruses.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Nope. There are no Mac viruses.</p><p></p><p>Well, technically I suppose if you run Windows on your Mac (which of course you can do) the Windows partition can get viruses of course, so in that sense you can get viruses on the Mac. But OS X can't get viruses.</p><p></p><p>But after all this I still couldn't say if Macs are right for you or not. I hate to sound like a snob, but a lot of what makes Macs a different animal to other hardware/software is not so much the things itself -- Macs use files and folders, they do basically the same things PCs do, in much the same way -- it's about the attitude (or change in attitude) they bring with them.</p><p></p><p>A poor analogy (and a pretty tired one) is driving a Honda and driving a Ferrari. Both can do the basic job, and both actually can go about the same speed if you want them to. A Honda can certainly be tuned to outperform its spec sheet. But there's <em>just something different</em> about driving a car that has been carefully engineered from top to bottom to work in complete harmony and at maximum efficiency with all its parts as much as possible.</p><p></p><p>Macs are not unique in the world in terms of being machines that are beautifully engineered to work elegantly. People feel the same way about certain types of motorcycles, cameras, cars, speaker systems and other really special equipment that somehow becomes a part of them. But Apple is one of those companies that makes that kind of stuff -- and for many people, once you go Mac you never quite go back (even if you do use Windows or Linux from time to time). <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="chas_m, post: 1148512"] Welcome! Macs are generally targeted at two VERY broad and diverse groups: Consumers and Creative Professionals (or those who want to become Creative Professionals, but it seems rude to call them Creative Amateurs!). :) Is it for you? Depends. A very fair-minded statement. You should really try to find either an Apple Store or a high-quality independent Mac dealer near you and give them a bit more of a spin. If there's nothing around, maybe there's someplace that sells iPads near you? I find that people who handle an iPad for about five minutes or so suddenly have "the veil lifted" and begin to understand why Apple rocks so hard. It's uncanny (I was going to say magical but people never believe me when I say that). It's not the same as a PC but it's not just about the hardware (or even just about the OS). One of the first things you will discover (should you decide to switch) is that you don't need all those excess specs to do the same things when you have a computer that is beautifully designed to work hand-in-hand with the OS and programs. IOW, a Mac of lesser specs can often run rings around a Windows box, though of course most Macs are not really of lesser specs. I, for example, appreciate not *HAVING* to use MS software if I don't want to, and I appreciate the option of being able to run any of the three major operating systems (and many others) simultaneously, giving me access to basically every computer program on earth should I desire it. But that's not your priority. Macs are generally designed with the needs of people who want to [I]make things[/I] in mind, so people who don't want to make things and just want to play games may think Macs are underspec'd. Ironically, the professionals who MAKE all that entertainment such people passively consume don't feel the same way about Macs at all. I have yet to run across current or recent iMac that can't handle 1080p video without issue, or can't play most high-end games at standard or better settings. This is the part where you should really try out the machines rather than base your opinion on a spec sheet. Hard-core gaming is developed and marketed with PC users in mind, and thus it remains a very solid platform on which to do that activity. I prefer a computer that helps me make lots of money and has been statistically shown to be more efficient, productive and profitable than any Windows computer, but that's just a different priority I guess. I don't game all that much, and when I do I find that video consoles like the Wii, XBox, PS3 do the job enjoyably enough that I don't feel the need to devote thousands of dollars to making a PC do that job. I'm kind of a right-tool-for-the-job sort of person ... that's why I don't yet have an iPad -- I haven't got time these days to use it! :) Again, a different viewpoint. Really, they do not. There are no Mac viruses. Nope. There are no Mac viruses. Well, technically I suppose if you run Windows on your Mac (which of course you can do) the Windows partition can get viruses of course, so in that sense you can get viruses on the Mac. But OS X can't get viruses. But after all this I still couldn't say if Macs are right for you or not. I hate to sound like a snob, but a lot of what makes Macs a different animal to other hardware/software is not so much the things itself -- Macs use files and folders, they do basically the same things PCs do, in much the same way -- it's about the attitude (or change in attitude) they bring with them. A poor analogy (and a pretty tired one) is driving a Honda and driving a Ferrari. Both can do the basic job, and both actually can go about the same speed if you want them to. A Honda can certainly be tuned to outperform its spec sheet. But there's [I]just something different[/I] about driving a car that has been carefully engineered from top to bottom to work in complete harmony and at maximum efficiency with all its parts as much as possible. Macs are not unique in the world in terms of being machines that are beautifully engineered to work elegantly. People feel the same way about certain types of motorcycles, cameras, cars, speaker systems and other really special equipment that somehow becomes a part of them. But Apple is one of those companies that makes that kind of stuff -- and for many people, once you go Mac you never quite go back (even if you do use Windows or Linux from time to time). :) [/QUOTE]
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What group is the mac targeted at, and is it for me?
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