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| Thinking of getting a Macintosh | |
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| Topic Started: Jul 18 2009, 01:43 AM (1,120 Views) | |
| cvn-tv-dip | Jul 18 2009, 01:43 AM Post #1 |
Retired Soliloquist
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As of now I have a Windows XP Pro (now SP2) that I had since spring of 2004. While it still works, it's been through some problems during more recent years. And overall, it's quite old. These are my computer's specifications: intel pentium IV 2.8GHZ-533 retail CPU intel D845EPIL i845E motherboard 256MB PC-2700 333MHZ DDR SDRAM w/d 80GB u/ata100 7200rpm hard drive nvidia gf4 fx5200 128 agp video card integrated realtek audio integrated intel 10/100 network
The above are the major problems I have or had run into. After 5 years it might come down on itself soon. So I've been thinking that before it breaks down completely, I should back up whatever I want to keep while preparing to get a new personal computer. Several moderate reasons compel me to go for a Macintosh. When an average person wants a new PC, he or she would probably look at (or be directed to) Windows Vista, or maybe Windows 7 in the near future. I don't know about W7, but I don't really want to risk it with Vista. I know that there's been quite a bit of debate over it in the last couple years. I don't think it's necessarily bad, but it would be missing things that I liked in XP, or at least make it hard to find setup that I am used to using. Plus, Vista begins a new period of Windows with costlier hardware requirements and it's just different from its predecessors in that sense. Unlike the controversial, hard-to-decide Vista, I'm seeing the modern Macintosh as trustworthy. In my last two years of college, I found several of my friends using Macs and they quite recommended it. Even our campus bookstore sponsors/recommends Apple computer merchandise. I just think it's higher quality and it would cause me less problems, since I don't really need to do much with the computer other than common essentials and I don't want to deal with such problems. I figured that if I'm going to try something different, I might as well try something entirely new rather than risk things with Vista. I've seen that a Mac can dual-boot both Windows XP/Vista and its own Macintosh OS. This makes me go for Macs all the more since XP has been increasingly harder to find. I don't know the exact details, but I heard about XP not being in distribution anymore, so it's difficult to purchase a new computer that makes XP work. From what I've seen it seems less stressful to enable Mac's dual boot options to use XP, if I do need to retain Windows, than to find this year's new computer and figure out how to get XP working or how to adapt to Vista. Now I know very little about Macs - the OS versions as well as how to use one. I don't know how accurate what I just said is. But I do think it's about time I learned how to use one and to try it out. Maybe I'll be a strong proponent of it by next year. Right now I'm just in thinking stage. I don't know what to do or where to go from here yet. What do you think? Do you have any tips on what I should do, regarding purchase, transition, dual booting, etc.? Edited by cvn-tv-dip, Jul 18 2009, 02:01 AM.
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| davadude | Jul 18 2009, 04:56 AM Post #2 |
Pie--
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I would personally not go with Mac, for me, Leopard ruined it, This is just my opinion. And they still do sell XP, but it will recieve no updates and no support after January 2010. |
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| Nicola | Jul 18 2009, 05:08 AM Post #3 |
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I've had my iMac since the end of March, and while it was quite expensive, I don't regret buying it one bit. The only crashes I've had has been google earth twice because I was going nuts with the mouse, and Photoshop quit unexpectedly on me the oither day. Otherwise everything has run fast, smoothly, and without any mishap. I have a 70GB partition for XP which I've put on via Bootcamp because of the amount of applications I have that are windows specific. My camera also seems to prefer plugging into a Windows OS. It's also pretty quiet. No whirring noises while things load, no loud fan noise after 10 minutes...sometimes I forget it's even on  I think the only thing I've found hard to adjust to is the different keyboard commands. I use copy and paste a lot and when I switch between operating systems I can get a bit confused at first What I also liked was there is no CPU. It's a screen with all the hardware in the back of the screen. In any case, assuming you have one near you, go have a play with them at your local Apple store, and get a 'Geek' to show you what is what. (that is seriously their job title )I also wub my large screen 
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| Viral. | Jul 18 2009, 06:42 AM Post #4 |
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Hmm, I'm also thinking about getting an iMac as I've had quite a few of the problems you have with my Vista and it's not that old at all. The only thing that stops me from getting one at the moment is the price because I really don't want to get a job in the last decent summer holidays I'll ever have .
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| Nicola | Jul 18 2009, 06:45 AM Post #5 |
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You don't technically have to get a brand new one. While 512mb RAM is kinda pants these days, http://www.amazon.co.uk/Apple-MA710B-Intel-1-83GHz-GMA950/dp/B000IDNLIC/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1247917479&sr=8-9 some sites have the old models for sale still. |
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| barky | Jul 18 2009, 07:06 AM Post #6 |
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could be fried RAM to blame for some of the computer troubles - have experienced that before, it made startup take ages - sometimes taking a few attempts to bootup XP. new RAM (or even used RAM) is very cheap now - upgrade to 1gig (or upto 2gig) would cost very little. a replacement optical drive would also cost very little -- as would a replacement hard drive cost not much presume the settings/registry have been cleaned out on the old box? once found a computer with 1000's of registry problems & loads of index.dat files -- once cleaned out made a huge difference but the draw for something new is strong with some folk - grass is greener with mac thing perhaps get the mac & keep the old un as backup with a few upgrade bits? |
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| Reid. | Jul 18 2009, 11:51 AM Post #7 |
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C'est un piège!
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It depends on what you do on the computer daily. If you are just the typical day-to-day browser (as in a person who browses, not an application) then a mac would probably be a better choice for you because of its enhanced security. Once you start specializing in stuff things become different. If you're a gamer, then you probably won't want a mac as you'll spend most of your time on the windows part of the system anyways. If you're into graphics, then mac is probably better for you than windows, and so on. |
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| Fission | Jul 18 2009, 11:58 AM Post #8 |
SRS BSNS
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And if you're worried about Vista, don't: Microsoft has promised free 7 upgrades to Vista PCs purchased this year, to the extent of my knowledge. |
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| Grant A. | Jul 18 2009, 12:27 PM Post #9 |
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I'd recommend just buying a computer with no operating system on it, and then installing Ubuntu GNU/Linux on it. It'd probably be much cheaper than buying an iMac, MacBook, or Mac Pro. Don't switch to another operating system thinking that most of your current programs will work with it, because they won't. Windows programs, without proper ports, won't work with a Macintosh, Linux, or any other operating system. Some Windows programs can be run in Linux by using WINE, but they won't always work, and if they do, they might be very buggy. Linux has no viruses out in the wild for it, so you won't need a virus scanner, just a firewall to prevent intrusions. If you do get a firewall, remember that gufw is a great one for beginners using Ubuntu. Mac OS X does have a few viruses out in the wild, because of the Macintosh's recent explosion in marketshare. However, Mac OS X has nowhere near as many viruses as Windows, and they can really only be gotten if you fall for social engineering attacks. Some Mac OS X viruses may be able to preform a drive-by download, but I haven't heard of any yet. If you need some programs like Photoshop and Microsoft Office, then go for a Macintosh. If you like to play a ton of video games, go for Windows. If you only browse the net, read e-mails, and chat with people, however, go with Linux. That's not to say that Macintosh doesn't have games, and that Linux doesn't have an office suite, a graphics editor, or games. Indeed, many people find OpenOffice.org and the GIMP to be great replacements for Microsoft Office and Photoshop. The GIMP, does lack some features that some people like in Photoshop, though. Adobe Flash does work with Linux and Mac OS X, and so does Java. Unfortunately, Ubuntu has some RuneScape HD issues. So, you may have to search the net for a workaround. There are two great reasons to use Linux. The first reason is that it's free, and the second reason is that, with Linux, you actually own your computer. You see, when you buy a copy of Windows or Mac OS X, you don't really own the operating system. This is because of that big long license agreement. In the license agreement presented to you when you first install Windows, it states that you don't really own the operating system, but are simply licensed to use it. Likewise, this is the same thing stated in the Mac OS X license agreement. Mac OS X has another restriction in its license, though, and that restriction is that you may not install Mac OS X on non-Apple approved hardware. Linux, however, is licensed under the GNU General Public License version 2.0. This license states that you actually own your operating system. You may redistribute it, modify the source code, and even sell it, without penalty. The only catch is that if you do redistribute it, or a modified version of it, you must release it under the GNU General Public License version 2 to protect those freedoms. You must also provide a copy of the source code if you are selling Linux and someone asks for it. The source code, however, is not allowed to be sold, and must be given away freely. Some Linux distributions such as SuSE and Redhat may have extra conditions attached to the programs on top of the operating system. Conditions that don't allow you to redistribute those particular programs and some art included in the distribution. These conditions also don't allow you to sell the operating system under the same name. This is why I recommend that you stick to a "free as in freedom" distribution like Ubuntu. Ubuntu's name and logo are protected trademarks, however, and are not allowed to be used in derivatives that you plan on redistributing. This is something common among most operating systems to protect the good name of the product. If you do choose to go back to Windows, or buy a Mac, that's okay. True freedom is the freedom of being able to decide for yourself.  I wish you luck with anything you choose, but bear in mind that I do not take responsibility for anything said in this post. Edited by Grant A., Jul 18 2009, 12:34 PM.
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| Reid. | Jul 18 2009, 01:13 PM Post #10 |
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C'est un piège!
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Grant is right, Ubuntu is very nice - or any of the Linux distros, really - but keep in mind that these things require a minimal knowledge of computers and I wouldn't recommend it if you don't want to have any errors whatsoever. That being said, if you have a decent idea of what's going on in your computer, Linux is wonderful. Most errors can be resolved online as well and if you are experiencing it then there's most likely a fix out there somewhere. Anyways, good luck. |
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| d0wn10ad | Jul 19 2009, 12:52 AM Post #11 |
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You should go for a PC with Win7 coming out soon. I'm using the Win7 RC - it has much less hardware requirements than Vista, and is faster than both XP and Vista in all ways.
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| cvn-tv-dip | Jul 19 2009, 02:07 AM Post #12 |
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Retired Soliloquist
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Thanks for the responses.
Let's see. Here's what I do on my computer.  I browse the web - e-mail, Facebook, Youtube, message boards. Being a student, I do use Microsoft Office from time to time. I use these software moderately during these days:* WinRar * VLC Media Player * SUPER - A media file converting program *Visual C++ Express Edition (I got it for my C++ class, but now that it's over I'm not sure if I would keep using the compiler) I'm not a gamer. I realized this year that while I've been playing some simple games, I'm not the competitive progamer type of a person. I do play some simpler and older things, but these are generally not too resource-intensive. I'm not necessarily interested in games just because they're out new, so I don't usually play newer-generation games.Graphics sounds interesting, although I'm not really involved with it at the moment, if you mean actually doing things with graphics. I think Photoshop would be enough, though. Basically I just use the computer primarily as a way to browse the web, but I do have a few certain programs that I would like to run on it.
I guess that's an option. However, the only Linux use I've had was going to my computer class and using the available computers in the classroom (because we could, apparently). I'm not a computer science major or anything. Honestly, I'm only good with computers in aspects that I'm used to, and when I face a computer problem/issue, I try to figure things out, so my scope is a little more beyond that. I can try to help people out, and I often do for my friends, if they have problems with Windows (XP particularly) basics, Microsoft Word or Powerpoint, Internet connections, and a few other things (many are everyday things for the average). I'm only a beginner in the very core of the computers and programming. So a free-source system like Ubuntu might be hard for me to adapt to right now, since you're on your own with a software most of my friends don't likely use and have familiarity. I'm not sure about it; I guess the important thing is that I myself get familiar with it, but I just feel a bit hesitant with that option. At least Macs are a little more known, and some of my friends do use it and like it. I'll consider that option. It would probably be more freedom while making the users more manual effort.
I don't know if to someone like me that makes a difference, though. For me and for many, as long as you find a way to install what you need running, that's good enough. You don't need to actually own it as long as you have it and you can use it quite freely. That been said, how much does it cost to get everything needed ready?
I don't really have a need to keep two computers. I just need one for usage. Upgrading the existing one while getting a new one would be redundant for me. It might be nice, but most likely I won't need to keep my old one. The reason I would rather buy a new one than upgrade is because I take the multiple past and present problems as a sign that the computer's getting old and will continue to deteriorate in performance quality and efficiency. If I wanted more RAM, it would make more sense to have done so a couple years ago (and I think I should have). With multiple issues, it gets costly and complicated to replace and upgrade many different parts. I don't want to risk it since even if I replace one thing, another might malfunction, and due to time and use the computer as a whole might not last much longer, making the upgrades unnecessary in light of a new computer. It's been 5 years, and my computer specifications are quite low. Personally I would say it's about time. To those mentioning Windows 7 - I don't know much about it, but I did hear that it has some similarities with Vista. And Vista has changed some things from previous Windows versions, making software compatibility more difficult (it's fine with newer softwares, but older existing ones might have this issue). I'm wondering if this "trend" has begun with Vista or if instead Windows 7 allows more compatibility once again like XP did. My main interest is the dual boot of Mac OSX and Windows XP; if I see that it works well enough, I would lean most likely towards a Mac. Does anyone know how it works and more about it? Edited by cvn-tv-dip, Jul 19 2009, 02:14 AM.
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| Fission | Jul 19 2009, 02:26 AM Post #13 |
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SRS BSNS
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Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate both have an XP emulation mode while being (from my experience) as fast as or faster than XP while having a pleasant graphical interface. |
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| cvn-tv-dip | Jul 19 2009, 02:30 AM Post #14 |
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Retired Soliloquist
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How much is Windows 7? Is a stable enough version out yet? |
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| Fission | Jul 19 2009, 09:33 AM Post #15 |
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SRS BSNS
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Even the initial beta releases were quite stable, but you can download the release candidate (though downloads will be unavailable after August 20th) for free (see http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/download.aspx). The minimum specs are pretty good compared to Vista, imo. Also, you should check out this page for information on the free Windows 7 upgrade program; there are many participating manufacturers, including Dell and HP. If you go for 7 via this route, however, I suggest you try to get a computer with Professional or Ultimate; it might cost a bit more, but the added features are worth it, though you might have to stick with Vista for the three months until 7's release (October 22nd). 7 by itself is quite expensive, however, with Ultimate in the $300 range and Professional in the $200 range (luckily I preordered my copy when they were still doing the 50%-off preorder deal. I highly suggest 7, as you might have figured out :P. |
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