PC => Mac success or heartbreak stories

[TracksuitsRock]

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Hey fellow pre-meds, a little advice while we are all obsessing. I know this doesn't really belong here but I know who all of you are here as opposed to in the lounge where I am a stranger in a vast world.'

So, are there any hardcore PC users that have switched over to the newer iMacs? I have never in my life thought about switching until I used my friend's iMac and was amazingly impressed. It seems to allow a lot more user control than how I remember Macs in the past. I do a lot of multimedia stuff which seems like its strong suit. Any input? I am most interested in hearing from people who were hardcore PC and made the switch. Thanks

 

[etf]

from about sophomore year in highschool till my junior year of college, I was a die-hard thinkpad fan. I bought a new thinkpad for college, and it was working ok, but it would periodically have serious problems that would require me to send it back to IBM. I didn't mind, since they paid for airborne express shipping and usually had my computer back to me within 2 weeks (in retrospect, this is ridiculous). It kept giving me problems - most of the time it was the same problem requiring the motherboard to be replaced, but I didn't mind, because in my mind, IBM could do no wrong...

Fast forward to my junior year, and I was working on a project for bio. I spent weeks on it, but the night before it was due, my thinkpad died on me. I called IBM, and they told me it was the same problem i've had 3 times before except worse, and that I would have to send it in. I told them no thanks, literally threw my thinkpad out the window (good thing it didn't hit anyone), and had to spend the whole night on my roommates' computer writing this report from memory. Right after I turned in my report the next day, I went to the student store and bought myself a PowerBook. It was the best decision (in terms of computers) that I have ever made. I've had this computer for a year and a half, and it hasn't frozen - I've actually only turned it off about 10 times. I know this sounds like one of those sappy stories from apple.com/switch, but honestly, the difference is like life changing. There is no way I'd buy a windows computer again. Period. Good luck making the switch, and once you do, never look back.

 

[sparkysgirl]

I was born and raised with PC's and my parents and friends all thought I was crazy when I told them I was getting a Mac. But, I haven't once regretted it, and whenever my best friend uses it she never ceases to be amazed by how easy they are. This sounds a bit like an apple commerical, I promise I don't work for them. The truth is if apples were anything like they used to be when I was in grade school I would never go near one. They aren't, though, and I recommend giving it a try.

 

[ND2005]

I made the switch during my senior year of college.

My dell laptop was a POS. Its hard drive crashed and I had to replace it, it had a few other minor problems, and then 2 months after the warranty expired the LCD started failing -- the screen would just randomly cut out, and if I was in the middle of something I just had to click control S and find it later when the screen decided to work again.

I debated getting another Dell, but started looking at some other options. I realized at the time that I didn't really use most of the mobility features of a laptop -- my old computer was of the last gen before wireless became standard, and the thing weighed about 10 pounds. So I priced out an iMac, and decided it was worth the ~200 dollars extra it cost over a comparably equipped PC.

I am so glad I got the Apple. It's been easy to use, and is problem free so far. I'm pretty adept, though far from an expert, on both Windows and the MacOS, but I prefer the Mac.

I'm not going to lie...the look of the computers is definitely a draw. If I buy a laptop for med school, I won't even think about getting anything other than a macbook (unless I go to wake and have their POS thrust on me).

 

[drmota]

i went from PC to mac 3 years ago and i'm staying right where i am. anything else would be uncivilized.
-mota

 

[volans]

can't even begin to desribe how much better macs are than pcs. so i won't 😉

seriously though, their hardware/software architecture is more sound, their platform is much better, the fact that its virtually impossible to get a virus and their innovative designs (yes, they look cool but their functionality is incredible) make them a first choice, except when you consider price. btw, i have a pc right now (a dell) and at the moment, i love it, i haven't had any issues except one major crash. now that compatibility issues have been mostly resolved, however, i want a mac to match my ipod 😀

 

[volans]

oh, and if you are big on multimedia, they're the way to go (sony vaios aren't bad either, but for that price, get a mac). otherwise, the only con might be that its more difficult to find compatible games for macs rather than pcs, but i dont' know if you care about that.

 

[g3pro]

I wouldn't have my computer situation any other way. Powerbook for the win! 🙂


Seriously though, the productivity I have with my powerbook versus my desktop windows machine is like night and day. Thank goodness that my lab uses macs almost exclusively.

 

[McPoyle]

YAY for Macs...I used Apples as a kid and then my folks bought a PC so I used that for quite a few years, until last year when I bought my Powerbook. Best purchase, next to my Sirius Satilite Radio, that I ever made. Macs are way easier to use, more reliable, more secure, and just look cooler than anything else.
They are a bit more expensive to buy, but are worth every penny. Especially now that they have the new intel chips! Good luck with the transition, should be fairly painless, you can get the Microsoft Office Suite with word and powerpoint and stuff for a pretty reasonable price. Also...you should be able to get %10 off everything just for being a student, that will save at least a couple hundred dollars.

 

[Kazema]

I bought my first Mac the summer before last summer. I was a die-hard PC person who used to make fun of Macs every chance I got.

I love my Mac. Every day I sit down in front of my Powerbook, I think, "I own a Powerbook. Wow." And I am happy. This is even though I've owned this computer for a year and a half.

I will continue to buy only Apple computers unless they go bankrupt or something.

 

[etf]

I Every day I sit down in front of my Powerbook, I think, "I own a Powerbook. Wow."

lol, i thought i was the only one who did this...

 

[thegenius]

PCs and Macs are both good computers, I've used them both for about a decade, I'm a software programmer and manager and am initimately aware of the ins and outs of each one.

Macs made a big move towards being better, all-purpose, computers when OS X came out (build on Unix, the Mach kernel).

There are people who will say that Macs are so friggin superior to PCs that they are not even going to argue their point. It's sad really, because there are no good, pragmatic arguments that vastly favor Mac over PC. And likewise the other way around.

WHen choosing between one and the other, keep in mind that

1) there is many, many times more software programs for the PC and Mac. For most things you do on your computer that won't matter, but boutique med school applications are more likely to be written for a PC than a Mac.

2) as a result of #1, PCs are less stable that Macs. For most people that will be a problem, as you'll likely have to rebuild your OS after 3 years of using your PC. You shouldn't have to do that with a Mac.

 

[nekrogg]

yay i bought mac stocks way back when before steve jobs took over as ceo and their computers were crap (not crap but crappy looking). and now the company is booming 🙂 every person who purchases a mac makes me happy.


i own a pc desktop and a mac laptop. the mac laptop never has problems, but the g4 platform produces ALOT of heat.. i dont know about the new intel dual core powerbooks though. that is my only complaint with the laptop.

as with my pc, thats a whole other story. i formatted my hard drive at least 5 times because of system crashes malfunctions and usually end up spending 10 hours reinstalling everything. quite annoying. with my mac, ive never had to format and ive had it for about 1 and a half years now.

the only reason why i keep the PC is for games.. which i shouldnt be playing because more game time = less mcat time 🙁 😛 and if you have a friend who has a mac to hook you up with basic software like photoshop and word, your all set.

 

[TracksuitsRock]

Sweet, thanks everyone. I must say I am seriously thinkiing about it though it sounds like a lot of you understand how crazy it feels from my end to even be considering it! But I read this review from a PC=> Mac user who was basically like, yeah, PCs feel like you can "do" more and you end up doing more, like as a previous poster said, reinstalling the OS, etc. I have formatted hard drives many times, reinstalled windows many times, etc. But his point was, yeah it is harder to do that with the Mac, but you don't have to do it with the Mac bc the Mac won't die on you and get super slow every few years. It was interesting. Although the one thing that makes me most nervous is that I don't know how to debug a Mac and fix lots of problems that way I can with a PC.

edit: the guy in the review also said he works with PCs all day and when he comes home at night he just wants it to be easy and that's what the Mac does for him. sounds similar to a hectic med student life... 🙂

Re: the software issues, I am curious what most med schools are geared towards. I have been looking at websites for the schools I am applying to and they give hardware recommendations for both PC and Mac without specifying a preference, but I do wonder if, like a previous poster said, many applications will be geared towards PCs.

Anyway, thanks for the help! My next job is to do a search for threads about laptops vs. desktops and make sure it is really not going to be a disadvantage for me to get a desktop. I am so tired of my laptop and the iMac is just too supersweet to pass by.

 

[retroMD]

I honestly tried to like the Mac, but I just could not get used to it. I could never find anything. Try to test one out before purchasing a really expensive one, you will know pretty quick if you love it or not.

On another note, I did love how easy it was to load programs and stuff 🙄

 

[medicomel]

i just bought an ibook G4 two weeks ago, and i love it. i'm a complete idiot when it comes to technology, so i'm grateful that it's so user-friendly.

 

[ND2005]

i just bought an ibook G4 two weeks ago, and i love it. i'm a complete idiot when it comes to technology, so i'm grateful that it's so user-friendly.

Oh geez. You realize they are completely revamping the iBook next month? (new chips, possibly new casing)

 

[medicomel]

yes, but cost is a major factor for me. it's not like i would have been able to afford it anyway.

 

[ND2005]

yes, but cost is a major factor for me. it's not like i would have been able to afford it anyway.

Ok. I just hate to see people buy a computer only to have the next new thing come out right away. This happened to me for undergrad -- I bought my laptop about 2 months before they started putting the pentium4 chips in laptops.

 

[jebus]

The Intel iBooks will probably cost just as much as the G4 iBooks. (The Intel iMacs cost just as much as the G5 iMacs. Only last week did they start to discount the old iMacs.) You got a good computer regardless and I'm sure you're happy with it. Besides, from personal experience, it's never a good idea to get the first version of any new Apple hardware. Think of it like buying a new car - you always wait until the 2nd production year after they've worked out a lot of the kinks.

 

[Jedix123]

I will join in with this Apple/PC discussion. I think if you just want to have a computer that will not give you trouble and will just work when you want it to, absolutely go for a Mac. But if you are computer savvy, then both are excellent options for you. If you are more hardware prone, then PCs are the way to go. What I mean by this is generally, Apple software is usually more stable and have fewer bugs. Since their move to OS X you also have the flexibility of Linux. Thus if you like to program and tinker in the operating system, both Mac and PC are good choices. I suspect most of you guys will just want a working computer with no fuss, but I am a hardware tinkernut so I absolutely can't have a Mac as a desktop.

As for the software/program compatibility discussion, this line is merging very closely now. OS X is Linux based and more and more programs are written with these two in mind. Along with the switch to Intel CPUs, there might even be a future of Windows on Macs although that would defeat the whole "Macs don't have to deal with the bugs/vulnerabilities/crashabilities of Windows" argument.

Now price is another place of concern. It is now cheaper to own a Mac than before with the price drops midrange Macs. This includes the iMac desktop and iBook laptop. But if you want the best like the G5 desktop or Powerbook or Macbook Pro, prices are steep. Because Apple doesn't have direct competition, prices will always be higher than PCs. I mean 2000$ minimum for a Macbook Pro is a bit ridiculous in my opinion but Apple did recently do a free CPU upgrade for everyone who ordered one due to a shipping delay.

Now I have the same problem of choosing although not for a desktop but for a laptop which I think I will need. I was looking at Thinkpad X60s and T60s as well as the MacBook Pro and couldn't decide yet. I'm going to wait and see. So my final tip for those who are going to buy a Mac is go for the laptops. Why? 1. They will become obselete less quickly than Apple's desktops 2. Some of Apple's design advantages will be more pronounced than on their desktops 3. Customization is irrelevent since neither Mac or PC laptops are meant to be modified (a big reason why I stick with PC desktops)

I know I provided my views without much examples to back it up so hopefully I'll check back and reply to questions.

 

[thegenius]

I will join in with this Apple/PC discussion. I think if you just want to have a computer that will not give you trouble and will just work when you want it to, absolutely go for a Mac. But if you are computer savvy, then both are excellent options for you. If you are more hardware prone, then PCs are the way to go. What I mean by this is generally, Apple software is usually more stable and have fewer bugs. Since their move to OS X you also have the flexibility of Linux. Thus if you like to program and tinker in the operating system, both Mac and PC are good choices. I suspect most of you guys will just want a working computer with no fuss, but I am a hardware tinkernut so I absolutely can't have a Mac as a desktop.

As for the software/program compatibility discussion, this line is merging very closely now. OS X is Linux based and more and more programs are written with these two in mind. Along with the switch to Intel CPUs, there might even be a future of Windows on Macs although that would defeat the whole "Macs don't have to deal with the bugs/vulnerabilities/crashabilities of Windows" argument.

Now price is another place of concern. It is now cheaper to own a Mac than before with the price drops midrange Macs. This includes the iMac desktop and iBook laptop. But if you want the best like the G5 desktop or Powerbook or Macbook Pro, prices are steep. Because Apple doesn't have direct competition, prices will always be higher than PCs. I mean 2000$ minimum for a Macbook Pro is a bit ridiculous in my opinion but Apple did recently do a free CPU upgrade for everyone who ordered one due to a shipping delay.

Now I have the same problem of choosing although not for a desktop but for a laptop which I think I will need. I was looking at Thinkpad X60s and T60s as well as the MacBook Pro and couldn't decide yet. I'm going to wait and see. So my final tip for those who are going to buy a Mac is go for the laptops. Why? 1. They will become obselete less quickly than Apple's desktops 2. Some of Apple's design advantages will be more pronounced than on their desktops 3. Customization is irrelevent since neither Mac or PC laptops are meant to be modified (a big reason why I stick with PC desktops)

I know I provided my views without much examples to back it up so hopefully I'll check back and reply to questions.

I agree with everything you said - however I think what makes OSX safe and secure is not the hardware, but the software (that and Apple doesn't foster the angst and anger in the hacker community that Microsoft does). So if someone hacks around and installs OSX on non-Apple hardware, I don't think that will open the OS up to a multitude of viruses.

 

[junebuguf]

Rather than have Windows on Macs (as another poster suggested), with the new build of OSX for Intel chips, I'm sure apple could sell a retail version of OSX for PCs. Of course, they would never do that, because whatever advantage apple has is in its software, not hardware (I am sure that with a large enough sampling, you will find just as many people that report hardware problems with macs than with a well-made pc like Thinkpad.) So if apple were to license its OSX software to PC manufacturers, it would lose all the profits from its hardware sales. There are a few bright and industrious people on the web who have illegally managed to boot OSX on a PC, however...you can google it for more info.

I would never switch to a mac and heres why--I love the Thinkpad keyboards! Yes, its a trivial thing, but I spend a lot of time typing and Thinkpads have the best keyboards out there--even better than anything on a desktop and certainly better than the plastic, no-response keys on macs. I just cant imagine typing on anything else. Also, from my experience with ipods (great design, terrible quality-control/construction) and their failing batteries (which are not user replaceable) and malfunctioning scroll wheel (a little moisture killed mine), apple's only redeeming feature is its software design (both on macs and on ipod), but its hardware is anywhere from ok to terrible.

 

[ND2005]

Also, from my experience with ipods (great design, terrible quality-control/construction) and their failing batteries (which are not user replaceable) and malfunctioning scroll wheel (a little moisture killed mine), apple's only redeeming feature is its software design (both on macs and on ipod), but its hardware is anywhere from ok to terrible.

Just a quick defense of iPods:

-There has never been a problem with "failing batteries" in the iPod. ALL rechargeable batteries eventually wear down. I had to buy a new battery for my Dell notebook. The impression that the iPod batteries "fail" came from people who don't know that about rechargeable batteries. You can now buy a replacement battery from Apple...they just install it for you. The problem there is that like all technology, the value of the product drops so much that it isn't worth the money for a new battery by the time the old one dies (2+ years later)

-I have never heard of moisture killing the scroll wheel. My iPod cover (one of those adhesive skins) actually requires that you wet the iPod with a damp towel to make the adhesive stick in the first place.

 

[junebuguf]

Just a quick defense of iPods:

-There has never been a problem with "failing batteries" in the iPod. ALL rechargeable batteries eventually wear down. I had to buy a new battery for my Dell notebook. The impression that the iPod batteries "fail" came from people who don't know that about rechargeable batteries. You can now buy a replacement battery from Apple...they just install it for you. The problem there is that like all technology, the value of the product drops so much that it isn't worth the money for a new battery by the time the old one dies (2+ years later)

-I have never heard of moisture killing the scroll wheel. My iPod cover (one of those adhesive skins) actually requires that you wet the iPod with a damp towel to make the adhesive stick in the first place.

I have no idea of the general perception of ipods, I can only judge based on my personal experience. I bought a 4g ipod in 2004 (with the scroll-click wheel), 6 months later it refused to hold a charge. Apple replaced it for free then. A year later, the replacement battery started dying after 10 minutes of use. This time, I was past the warranty stage so apple wouldnt replace it without a fee. By this point, I was also starting to have trouble with the scroll wheel. I dont know of any case that requires you to wet the scroll wheel or why, since moisture could damage it, if enough got through. There is a small crease between the wheel and the rest of the ipod body that could let a small amount of moisture in. A well made product would have enough rubber o-rings to prevent this from seeping into the hardware, but apparently ipods dont, because mine (after normal use, not abuse, occasionally using it during workouts with moisture on my hands, but nothing worse) began failing. It refuses to change volume or scroll through the title list in a normal, measured pace. Instead it jumps awkwardly from one setting to a much high volume setting as the electrical leads on the scroll wheel catch on.

Anyway, as well designed as it is, after all these issues and the fact that they're incompatible with music subscription services (why would apple offer one when they have 80% of the market and can dictate how people buy their music?), I just decided to buy a creative player and am now probably going to buy a mini samsung player. I never expected a flawless product, but my experiences with ipod were awful, other people may have had better luck. The worst part was converting all those protected aac files I bought from itunes to wma--pain in the a**.

 

[Rafa]

After a month in which I could barely read my iPod's display (because my snapple bottle leaked in my pocket on the first week of January), the screen suddenly returned to perfect clarity sometime between 1pm and 4pm Eastern time this afternoon. It was truly a miracle. No new iPod for me - not for now, at least!