Mac Book Pro or Windows

86 replies
Hi,

I am about to throw my entire lot in with IM fulltime.

I am having trouble deciding on whether I should invest in a far more expensive Mac Book Pro or a Windows Laptop.

As asuccessful IMer which one do you use and why?

G
#book #mac #pro #windows
  • Profile picture of the author Sour
    As just an internet marketer, you're not going to need anything fancy (it doesn't take much to computing power to browse the internet and write articles ). Not to mention a lot of the software IMers use is restricted to Windows. Sure, there are ways around it with a Mac, but there's really no point in getting a Mac unless you want a *pretty* laptop.

    BTW, I grew up with PCs, and I switched over to a MacBook Pro a few years ago. I love the thing to death, but for your needs (from what I understand, at least), a PC will suit you just fine. Your wallet will thank you, as well.
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    • Profile picture of the author graham41
      My business model is e-book publishing,video/dvd production, web streaming, utube ,etc not article writing. This is a proper business model which I will scale up rapidly. So I am looking for a computing experience that can grow with me so I will not have to replace in 1 year.

      G
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      • Profile picture of the author topcash
        Originally Posted by graham41 View Post

        My business model is e-book publishing,video/dvd production, web streaming, utube ,etc not article writing. This is a proper business model which I will scale up rapidly. So I am looking for a computing experience that can grow with me so I will not have to replace in 1 year.

        G
        All of this I use with a MAC and love it. I was a windows user for 10 years and now I cring when I have to come close to a PC.

        Stuff just works with a MAC
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        • Profile picture of the author graham41
          OK Mac It is!!

          G
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      • Profile picture of the author source47
        Originally Posted by graham41 View Post

        My business model is e-book publishing,video/dvd production, web streaming, utube ,etc not article writing. This is a proper business model which I will scale up rapidly. So I am looking for a computing experience that can grow with me so I will not have to replace in 1 year.

        G
        I have been a Mac user for the past 6 years. I've never looked back. I create videos on my Mac on a regular basis as well as internet marketing podcasts, PDF's and other materials. I am also a graphic designer and web designer. That may have influenced my decision at first but I still use my old Powerbook G4 laptop on a regular basis as well as a 'newer' '07 iMac. I've never had a problem with spyware, malware, or other security risks. I've kept my Powerbook G4 updated with the latest software and I have had a lot of the hardware upgraded as well. My point being is that Mac will grow with you for years and years to come.

        In this case, the old addage is appropriate, "You get what you pay for!" Right?
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        • Profile picture of the author troy23
          Macs only really took off because of the iPod craze. People suddenly thought it would be trendy to have anything Apple. I was in PC World around this time and a family came in. The assistant said "see that side of the room over there...well that's the windows software you can get.....now see that little section in the corner..well that's what you have for Mac"

          If all you want to do is read and type a few documents, surf the net and play some MP3's then Macs will do fine. It's also not bad for video rendering, but even now Windows has closed the gap on that.

          MS Office is available for Macs, but it does not work as well as the Windows version.

          If you want to use specialised software available for online marketing like video submitters, artcile spinners etc...then you are unlikely to find any available for the Mac.

          The days of Windows crashing are few and far between ever since they rewrote it from the ground up...starting with XP. You will be hard pushed to find a bad review of the latest Windows 7.

          How would you upgrade your Mac when it becomes obsolete in a few years? I don't think you can walk into a computer store and buy a new graphics card, memory, hard drive etc.

          Go with Windows - no point in limiting yourself for the sake of a style over substance PC.
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          • Profile picture of the author JordanFrancis
            Originally Posted by troy23 View Post

            Macs only really took off because of the iPod craze. People suddenly thought it would be trendy to have anything Apple. I was in PC World around this time and a family came in. The assistant said "see that side of the room over there...well that's the windows software you can get.....now see that little section in the corner..well that's what you have for Mac"

            If all you want to do is read and type a few documents, surf the net and play some MP3's then Macs will do fine. It's also not bad for video rendering, but even now Windows has closed the gap on that.

            MS Office is available for Macs, but it does not work as well as the Windows version.

            If you want to use specialised software available for online marketing like video submitters, artcile spinners etc...then you are unlikely to find any available for the Mac.

            The days of Windows crashing are few and far between ever since they rewrote it from the ground up...starting with XP. You will be hard pushed to find a bad review of the latest Windows 7.

            How would you upgrade your Mac when it becomes obsolete in a few years? I don't think you can walk into a computer store and buy a new graphics card, memory, hard drive etc.

            Go with Windows - no point in limiting yourself for the sake of a style over substance PC.
            FAIL.

            Especially:

            "If all you want to do is read and type a few documents, surf the net and play some MP3's then Macs will do fine. It's also not bad for video rendering, but even now Windows has closed the gap on that."

            Oh. Dear. God.

            "How would you upgrade your Mac when it becomes obsolete in a few years? I don't think you can walk into a computer store and buy a new graphics card, memory, hard drive etc."

            How would you upgrade any all-in-one desktop? How would you upgrade any Laptop? The same limited ways you'd upgrade an iMac or a Macbook. For those that need plenty of expansion there is - Apple - Mac Pro

            But the simple fact is that Macs don't require upgrading every 6-12 months in order to remain enjoyable and perfectly-able-to-perform. Mind you, there is nothing to stop someone from upgrading their memory or hard drive... which oddly, you point out as bits you can't upgrade if you use a Mac.

            And when you eventually do decide to buy a new machine, you'll always get more for your Mac than any other vendors PC. Most people forget the re-sale value aspect.
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            • Profile picture of the author troy23
              "Macs don't require upgrading every 6-12 months in order to remain enjoyable"

              Neither do Windows PC's, unless you are doing gaming of course.

              Bu anyway , I don't recall seeing any Mac components in my local PC World.
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              • Profile picture of the author JordanFrancis
                Originally Posted by troy23 View Post

                "Macs don't require upgrading every 6-12 months in order to remain enjoyable"

                Neither do Windows PC's, unless you are doing gaming of course.

                Bu anyway , I don't recall seeing any Mac components in my local PC World.
                Macs don't use exotic memory or hard drives, you can buy those off the shelf if you wish.

                And you're quite right about not needing to upgrade Windows PCs. If you're smart and maintain it, it will continue to do its job just fine. Which is why I never understand why folks throw down the "you can't upgrade a mac" line. It's both inaccurate and, well, shallow.

                And you know, right there is another plus side for Macs... you just don't need much tech knowledge to keep your machine running smoothly. If any. On the other hand, Windows PCs require more tech know-how in order to continue running smoothly. I have helped out a few relatives more than once with theirs because they have not a clue what they're doing.

                Oh, and this may surprise you, but I don't actually own a Mac. I run an older generation PC. For now at least...
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              • Profile picture of the author Amrak
                Mac Book Pro--definitely! I have both--Mac Book Pro and a desktop PC running 64 bit XP, and I use the Mac for almost everything. I HATE having to switch over to my PC...it's like getting out of a Mercedes and into a Pontiac.

                Small IM Problem with Mac--some IM programs are only written for PC.

                Huge IM Plus with Mac--iMovie. Video has become a crucial component of IM, and if you have a Mac you can use iMovie to edit and stuff, which is a completely AWESOME program.

                Bottom line, Mac products are far superior to Microsoft products. Unfortunately, more programmers write for Windows, so you have to deal with frustrations here and there when there is no Mac alternative to the program you want.
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  • Profile picture of the author SageSound
    Macs come with iLife installed for free. It includes: iMovie, iDVD, GarageBand, and a bunch of other stuff.

    iWork does almost everything MS Office Ultimate does for $79.

    And if you do much writing, there's a little-known but powerful writing tool I found called Scrivener.

    BTW, my brother was just complaining that all three of his kids have gotten some crazy virus on their Windows boxes. The people who fix them either charge $85 to reformat and reinstall Windows (what you can do yourself simply by installing the "restore CD"), or they charge $150 or more to run a battery of anti-virus stuff that fixes things. He said he's had to do that about every 6 months.

    I've heard this from a number of people over the past couple of years.

    They look at the price of a Mac and say, "That's just TOO EXPENSIVE!"

    Ok, so how many times have you paid to have the system wiped or de-liced or whatever, and how much has that cost you per computer?

    When you add up the wasted time, expense of fixing things, and all of that, it's way more than what you'd pay for a Mac.

    A base Mac laptop (suitable for a kid) is $900 or so. Compare that with a typical Windows laptop at $600 that has to be disinfected every few months, along with annual subscriptions for various anti-virus software, and all the problems you have to deal with. Is $300 really saving you anything?

    Not to mention that the iLife apps just kick a$$ over their more-or-less equivalent apps found in Windows.

    To me it's a no-brainer. But people seem to think there's some value in saving a few hundred bucks in exchange for having to battle viruses and stuff all the time. Go figure.

    -David
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    • Profile picture of the author Wham
      Unless you plan on downloading random stuff off the internet then viruses aren't really a problem. You don't just get viruses for having windows, you usually just get them for being dumb.

      However if moneys not a problem then mac.
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    • Profile picture of the author Ryan700
      Originally Posted by SageSound View Post

      Macs come with iLife installed for free. It includes: iMovie, iDVD, GarageBand, and a bunch of other stuff.

      iWork does almost everything MS Office Ultimate does for $79.

      They look at the price of a Mac and say, "That's just TOO EXPENSIVE!"

      Ok, so how many times have you paid to have the system wiped or de-liced or whatever, and how much has that cost you per computer?

      When you add up the wasted time, expense of fixing things, and all of that, it's way more than what you'd pay for a Mac.

      To me it's a no-brainer. But people seem to think there's some value in saving a few hundred bucks in exchange for having to battle viruses and stuff all the time. Go figure.

      -David
      I agree with most of this except you don't have to buy Iwork when you can get OpenOffice for free. I bought Office for Mac and it was the first thing that crashed on my Mac. No more MS products for me!

      If you really need something that's PC only you can get programs that will let you run your PC programs on a Mac. I would recommend the MacBookPro with the biggest hard drive you can get.

      Go Mac and you can kiss good-bye the late night fixing and tweaking and updating your virus definitions sessions forever.
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      • Profile picture of the author SageSound
        Originally Posted by Ryan700 View Post

        I agree with most of this except you don't have to buy Iwork when you can get OpenOffice for free.
        I didn't say you HAD to buy iWork for your Mac.

        OpenOffice is loosely comparable to Office.

        Until you've seen what iWork can do, it's difficult to say how it goes FAR BEYOND what either Open Office or MS Office does.

        I've only been using it a bit, and while I've only scratched the surface, there's stuff iWork does that's simply amazing.

        For example, several times now I've wanted to lay out 4-up postcards in MS Word. I suppose I should be using MS Publisher for that, but it's not included in Office Mac or my Office on Windows. After futzing with it for a couple of hours and having nothing to show for it, I fired up Pages and accomplished what I wanted in 20 minutes! Pages lets you do what both Word and Publisher can do in the same app.

        Also, you can write a document in pages, set up a spreadsheet of data in Numbers, create a graph and drop it into the document, then create a presentation in Keynote all from the same content. If you update the data in the spreadsheet, the graphs in the document and Keynote presentation are updated instantly. And, you can create graphic data displays in Numbers that leave Excel graphs in the dust. They're fully animated, can be manipulated interactively, and updated on-the-fly.

        Open Office is free. But it doesn't even come close to any of the capabilities of what you can accomplish with iWork.

        But, hey, it's FREE! (That seems to be the watch-word of most open source proponents. Not, "it's GREAT software" but "it's FREE software". Viruses and trojans are "free software" too, but I don't see people jumping up and down extolling their virtues.)

        -David
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  • Profile picture of the author butters
    I got a mac but there isn't really that much difference, software is usually harder to find tho, like article bots etc... I heard mac is better for design but not sure about that, go with what ever you feel comfortable with, I like my mac, it more simpler to use then windows.
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  • Profile picture of the author graham41
    My instinct tells me Mac Book Pro but little daughter will want one too and in UK that will put me out aleast a couple of grand.

    If I get a refurb one is support key or are they more durable than windows?

    G
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    • Profile picture of the author Technista
      Originally Posted by graham41 View Post

      My instinct tells me Mac Book Pro but little daughter will want one too and in UK that will put me out aleast a couple of grand.

      If I get a refurb one is support key or are they more durable than windows?

      G
      Our former home and office PC's (may they rest in peace) have either crashed and burned within 5 years, or have proved themselves to be un-upgradable due to the increasing demands of newer Windows operating systems.

      On the other hand, my primary machine is an 8 yr old G4 Powerbook (precursor to the Mac Book Pro) that runs great and shows little for the wear. I recently upgraded the memory and the hard drive myself, and it was pretty easy. Also still in use in our household is a 1998 G3 "Lombard" laptop, a 1999 G3 "Pismo", and two original G3 iMacs from 2001. All but the Lombard were purchased "preowned". No problems with any of them.

      I do my "PC" work on my 3 year old Mac Mini. Because it has an Intel chip, I run Windows XP on it through VMWare Fusion. Some of the software I need for development is PC only, so it comes in very handy. I also have the notorious IE 6 installed on it so I can make sure my web designs are compatible with this quirky IE release.

      I don't think you can go wrong with a Mac.
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    • Profile picture of the author Mr. Enthusiastic
      Originally Posted by graham41 View Post

      My instinct tells me Mac Book Pro but little daughter will want one too and in UK that will put me out aleast a couple of grand.

      If I get a refurb one is support key or are they more durable than windows?

      G
      Hi Graham,

      Mac is more stylish and has a broader range of creative options for the media production you want to do. Fewer security issues, and you can add Windows too if you need to. Apple's refurbs have 3 month warranties.

      Unless your daughter is also going to edit as many videos as you within a year, any older Macbook (non-Pro) should do fine for her.

      The comparison shopping sites you need are lowendmac.com which does a detailed analysis of the price/value trade-offs for each generation of machine, dealmac.com for latest discounts, and Accelerate Your Macintosh! News Page - 12/2/09 for comparisons of upgrade options.

      You'll find your kindred spirits at the London Final Cut Pro User Group, Motion Graphics London on LinkedIn, and some kind of self-publishing group that should be easy to find in the city of books.

      Chris
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  • Profile picture of the author dorim
    I have a MacBook and I love it, I don't have the problems with locking up the way I did with Windows and it runs faster in my opinion. I still have my Windows laptop I use to read some files that my Mac won't open.
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  • Profile picture of the author Wakunahum
    I think this is really a software and application issue. Which tools do you need? Which operating system will those tools work on?
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  • Profile picture of the author lharding
    Hi,

    I've replaced all PCs with Mac in our family. It has been the best thing I've done. The kids were a nightmare with the PC. No matter how much anti-virus, anti-spyware etc I was running, the kids would always go looking somewhere for a mobile phone ring tone or something and get another virus/spyware/trojan etc etc. So, out with PCs in with Macs.

    The issue is that most kids tend to get sucked into the "let's install this crap" mentality with Windows, so that's where most of the problem lies. I guess you can lock down the Windows OS, but I found that to be problematic with some software such as mobile phone desktop stuff, which really would not work properly unless you have admin rights on Windows. So, now they just use their Macs for word processing, surfing, email etc. No games, that's for xbox.

    Myself, I have a MacBook Pro and I love it. I have purchased refurb MacBooks as well, and they've turned out pretty good (in fact I couldn't tell the difference between new and refurb). A basic MacBook is £799 and a basic MacBook Pro is £899, with the updates in graphics cards and memory, processor etc, these have become very good machines. If you doing really top end graphics, the pro is the way to go, with the additional graphics acceleration.

    Yes, my pro cost me £2K, but so far 2 and a half years of not one problem. So, I think it's worth it. It's down to personal preference. For me, I want a tool that does the job. Not something I have to tinker with on and off. Windows is great though, it's created a whole industry to look after it. So, just think of all the jobs it's created and businesses it has helped create.

    Cheers, Lee.
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    Lee Harding
    The Architect
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  • Profile picture of the author Isaac Bennett
    Just do it dude! MAC!!!
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  • Profile picture of the author metallic07039
    My vote is for the Mac.

    1. You can download almost anything without worrying about it.
    2. All of the software really does "just work" and integrates pretty seamlessly into the OS and other software.
    3. If you're an Internet Marketer you might get go use out of all of the Apple-only tools such as Automator. For example, you can configure it to make copies of landing pages or resize thumbnails in bulk.
    4. If you're a coder/web designer there is nothing like the text editors on Mac.

    However (quick plug for Windows):

    1. Microsoft Office on Mac is pretty buggy and slow. If you want to use Excel (which personally I use often) it will work better on Windows.

    However again (back to Mac):

    1. You can install a vitualization software (my favorite is VMWare Fusion) to run Windows in another window for cases when you have no choice. You can also install Windows in a way that will allow you to completely boot into it like you'd do in an HP or Dell computer (via Bootcamp).

    I recently got the new Mac Pro, which I love but previously I had (and still own) the first Intel Macbook Pro (I got it on release day). That was 3 years ago. Have I had any problems? None. Still works as new. It was the best investment I had ever made on a computer.

    Mac FTW!
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  • Profile picture of the author JasonP
    I made the switch from PC to Mac, and let me tell you, I can't believe I lasted with PC as long as I did. I'm typing this on my wife's PC and I can barely stand to touch the keyboard. I do all of my IM with my Macbook Pro. Its SO fast, and SO reliable, whereas a PC laptop gets slow and bogged down almost immediately after purchase. You'd figure after all this time PC could get itself together, but it doesn't look like its going to happen.

    As for IM purposes, well, its true most of the "tools" you'll need are for PC, I think you'll learn that you don't really need the "tools", and can get everything you need to get done on your Mac, and get it done a lot faster.
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    • Profile picture of the author Dan C. Rinnert
      Don't forget that there are also options for running Windows on a Mac. So, with the Mac (an Intel Mac, which any of the newer ones will be anyway), you can have the best of both worlds.

      Of course, you can also buy a cheap PC for your Windows needs, just so you don't sully your Mac.
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  • Profile picture of the author Laura B
    I do all my IMing with Mac. Not a new Mac, either; a PowerPC iMac G5 that's several years old as well as a G4 Powerbook that's several years old. Both still working great. I've only run into two software programs I wanted to use that were not available for Mac, and for one, there's a comparable program available, and for the other, I just run it in Windows on my Mac.

    If you're doing anything with video production, there's no dilemma here, in my opinion.
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  • Profile picture of the author jasondinner
    Get the Mac, but run VM Ware on it so you can install Windows as well.

    It's like having 2 computers.

    I run XP Pro on my Mac Book Pro and I love it.

    Only thing is if you are going to do this the VM Ware will slow down the Mac bc it uses up a lot of resources, so make sure you get more than just the entry level Mac Book Pro.

    It's worth the extra few hundred dollars to have both running with no lag.

    Cheers,
    Jason
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  • Profile picture of the author WinsonYeung
    I just gotten myself a window 7 and it's working very good for me
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    • Profile picture of the author James English
      I use both depending on what room of my house I am in at the time.

      Like tons of people have said, as far as IM goes it probably doesn't matter. The one thing I do like about my mac that I can't do with a PC is having the ability to launch programs from an indexed database. When you perform a search for a specific file on a PC it actually has to dig through all of your files to match the name. The second you launch your Mac it indexes the entire computer, so all you have to do is type in what you are searching for and its all ready there...no waiting at all.

      With programs like Quicksilver I can launch any application or file on my computer without even having to search for it. Cmnd + Spacebar, type in the first 3 letters of what you are looking for and you are good to go.

      It all really just comes down to what you want to use though. I feel like I am much more in control on my Mac compared to my PC, but both get the job done.
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      • Profile picture of the author mojojuju
        Originally Posted by tjames20 View Post

        When you perform a search for a specific file on a PC it actually has to dig through all of your files to match the name.
        Recent versions of Windows use indexed search and no longer have to grep through all the files to find what a user is looking for.
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        :)

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  • Profile picture of the author Mark Flavin
    I use Mac as my desktop & also have Ubuntu & Windows XP on a netbook & a laptop. I use them all a lot but in my opinion the Mac is streets ahead of the rest.

    It's fast (3 years old now & still running quick) easy to use & I do some video & music work so it's perfect for that.

    Go for the MacBook Pro.
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  • Profile picture of the author Johnlee04
    I hope this is not offending with Mac lovers. Read this just a piece of information!

    An Apple Mac was the first victim in a hacker shoot-out to determine which operating system is the most secure.
    A former US National Security Agency employee has trousered $10,000 for breaking into a MacBook Air at CanSecWest security conference's PWN 2 OWN hacking contest. The MacBook was lined up against Linux and Vista PCs - which have so far remained uncracked.
    It took Charles Miller just two minutes to break into the Apple. Show organisers had offered the MacBook, a Sony Vaio and Fujitsu U810 as prizes, saying that they could be won by anybody at the show who could find a way to hack into each of them and read the contents of a file on the system, using a previously undisclosed "0day" attack.



    Just search the full story using the content.
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    • Profile picture of the author jasondinner
      Originally Posted by Johnlee04 View Post

      I hope this is not offending with Mac lovers. Read this just a piece of information!

      An Apple Mac was the first victim in a hacker shoot-out to determine which operating system is the most secure.
      A former US National Security Agency employee has trousered $10,000 for breaking into a MacBook Air at CanSecWest security conference's PWN 2 OWN hacking contest. The MacBook was lined up against Linux and Vista PCs - which have so far remained uncracked.
      It took Charles Miller just two minutes to break into the Apple. Show organisers had offered the MacBook, a Sony Vaio and Fujitsu U810 as prizes, saying that they could be won by anybody at the show who could find a way to hack into each of them and read the contents of a file on the system, using a previously undisclosed "0day" attack.

      Just search the full story using the content.
      I still would buy a Mac over a PC any day, especially with my only Operating system choices for PC's nowadays being Vista or Windows 7 (vista is crap and windows 7 probably won't be much better for at least a year)

      My Mac works every day all the time. When I need PC stuff like FrontPage and Camtasia,
      I just flip over to my XP Pro space on my Mac and I have a fully functional PC running
      simultaneously with my Mac.

      I don't fill my mind with fear of being hacked because I know by consuming my thoughts with fear, the very thing I fear will manifest itself into a reality in my life.

      So who cares if some nerd could hack a mac. Don't put yourself in a position to be hacked and don't worry about being hacked.

      - Jason
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    • Profile picture of the author mojojuju
      Originally Posted by Johnlee04 View Post


      An Apple Mac was the first victim in a hacker shoot-out to determine which operating system is the most secure.
      A contest like this does not really offer substantial proof as to which operating system is most secure.

      You ever consider that Charles Miller cracking the MacBook in 2 minutes rather than the Sony Vaio or the Fujitsu might have more to do with the MacBook being the computer he wanted to win, and not that the MacBook is less secure?

      Also, Charles went into the contest with knowledge of a vulnerability in Safari which allowed him to get telnet access to the machine which then allowed him to take it down.

      Basically, he won the contest before he walked in the door.

      And no, I'm not a Mac fanboy, but I'm just sayin'.
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      :)

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  • Profile picture of the author Maximillion_Z
    Go with the Mac - I've noticed a lot of IM guru's have mentioned that they have "converted" to being Mac users
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  • Profile picture of the author Bossman34
    If you have the money and are willing to pay a premium for the Mac OS, then go for it. That's all you're paying for is the Mac OS. Macs are Intel based computers and use the same basic components as PCs so you're paying a premium to be able to run the Mac OS.

    The only real advantage of a Mac (in my opinion) is that you don't have to worry about viruses. Even so, I have never had a problem with viruses with a PC...I mean ever. Install an anti-virus program for precaution and don't download stuff from unreputable sites and you'll be fine.

    Any new PC you buy now will come with Windows 7 which is a dream to run. No problems at all so far. It's definitely leaps and bounds better than Vista. You can run all of your IM tools without having to switch between OSes on your Mac.

    I would save yourself several hundred dollars and get a PC laptop with comparable specs. Spend the money on outsourcing or IM tools.
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    • Profile picture of the author mojojuju
      Originally Posted by Bossman34 View Post

      Macs are Intel based computers and use the same basic components as PCs so you're paying a premium to be able to run the Mac OS.
      Yep, Mac OSX is an operating system that runs on the same architecture as does Windows; It's inherently capable of running on pretty much any desktop or laptop that can be bought with Windows on it.

      But what irks me about Mac OSX is that where other operating system manufactures go to great measures to make sure that their operating system runs on as many computers as possible, Apple goes to great measures to explicitly prevent their operating system from running on any systems but the ones they sell.

      That's why I don't like OSX. They cripple their software and make you buy their computers only - as that's the only way they feel you can get "The OSX Experience" as they believe you should have it.

      And Apple is very protective and controlling with regard to allowing people choice in what hardware they use to run OSX. Here's a quote from their end user license agreement:

      "You agree not to install, use or run the Apple Software on any non-Apple-labeled computer, or to enable others to do so."

      What a load of BS. Perhaps if I bought an empty Mac computer case off of eBay (complete with the Apple label), I could legally build a hackintosh inside of it with my own choice of computer components.
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    • Profile picture of the author SageSound
      Originally Posted by Bossman34 View Post

      If you have the money and are willing to pay a premium for the Mac OS, then go for it.
      This makes no sense!
      • The hardware is more stable.
      • The software is more stable.
      • You can run ALL of your Windows software in Parallels, Fusion, or Bootcamp
      • You don't need to run anti-virus software that sucks 25% or more of you CPU resources just to "feel safe".
      • The dollar value of what you can purchase in terms of software is far better. eg., iWork is $79 and it does virtually everything that Office Ultimate does for $500 or so; the price for a lot of apps NEW on Mac is cheaper than the UPGRADE pricing for the SAME apps in Windows (eg., the OS itself; Camtasia; iWork vs. Office; etc.)
      Microsoft likes to tout "TCO" or "Total Cost of Ownership". That's great if your a Corporation and you need to ensure homogeniety of your machines and you can keep people from installing random stuff. But for the average person, TCO boils down to the above items.

      I've had a Mac for nearly 4 years now, and Windows machines forever. Over this time period, I'd say the Mac has been cheaper to own and I've spent less on software for it than my Windows boxes. But the software is more powerful, the machine doesn't hang up nearly as often (Firefox brings both OSs to their knees now and then), and ... it just works.

      What more can you ask for?

      -David
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  • Profile picture of the author trafficwave
    When people bring up the issue of "cost" when comparing Mac to PC, I typically ask them if they would expect to pay more for a BMW than they might pay for a Geo.

    I was a die-hard Windoze guy for years. I switched to Mac a few years ago.

    I was nervous about spending so much more for the Mac than I ever had for a Windoze unit.

    But the purchase price is only part of the story.

    In my own experiences, when I was running Windoze, I was always (and I do mean ALWAYS) having to fix stuff, upgrade drivers, install new sound cards, upgrade this, update that, repair this and repair that, take it to a repair shop for some issue or another.

    The time I was spending battling viruses, the blue screen of death, trying to figure out why it wouldn't print, etc... was time I was not spending on my business or just enjoying my flight simulator and other games.

    The fact that I have kids and a wife that were also using Windoze meant that time was being used up even more with responding to things like, "Honey? Why won't my computer do anything? It's just sitting there with a blue screen".

    My entire family and business are transitioned over to Mac now. We spent more money up front. But now I don't spend any time on repairs, installing drivers, debugging, rebooting, etc... I just USE the computer.

    My Mac handles all of my marketing tasks and is used for video and music production with no problem. I didn't even have to buy new drivers. It worked right out of the box.

    I do still have one windoze unit on my desk.

    Why?

    A lot of our clients still use windows and WHEN (not if) they contact me with issues related to using the IE browser on a windoze box, we're able to see it from the perspective of a real windoze box and get it resolved for them.
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    • Profile picture of the author Bossman34
      Originally Posted by trafficwave View Post

      When people bring up the issue of "cost" when comparing Mac to PC, I typically ask them if they would expect to pay more for a BMW than they might pay for a Geo.
      Can't agree with this at all. For the price you pay for a Mac you can purchase a darn nice Windows machine that, spec-for-spec, would clean the Mac's clock.

      Again, the components of a Mac are no different than those in a PC. The CPU, video card, hard drive, and memory are all the same. The only difference is the OS.
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    • Profile picture of the author jasondinner
      Originally Posted by trafficwave View Post

      When people bring up the issue of "cost" when comparing Mac to PC, I typically ask them if they would expect to pay more for a BMW than they might pay for a Geo.
      That is truly classic. lol

      Definitely one of the best ways I've heard the issue of cost addressed
      when comparing Mac's and PC's with each other.

      Thanks for that
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      • Profile picture of the author trafficwave
        Originally Posted by jasondinner View Post

        That is truly classic. lol

        Definitely one of the best ways I've heard the issue of cost addressed
        when comparing Mac's and PC's with each other.

        Thanks for that
        Funny thing is ... this screen was still up on my Mac when my dad came over. He needed to move some photos from his camera to a CD. I always give him grief about still using Windows and we just mess with each other about it all the time.

        So I ask him for his camera ... plug it in .... He kept saying "wow" over and over again as iPhoto automatically came up, imported the pics, burned the CD, and emailed the pics to his (gasp!) AOL account.

        He just sat there for a minute and said, "If I was at home on my windoze box I'd still be waiting for the pictures to load."

        All of this was happening WHILE other programs were running on the MacBook Pro.

        We had the "true cost of continuing to use Windoze" conversation (again).

        Funny stuff ....
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        • Profile picture of the author earsaver
          Back in the "Glory Days" of "The Platform Wars" the point about software was often used by the MIS managers to keep Mac out if the environment.

          To paraphrase Guy Kawasaki, it usually went something like this:

          MIS Manager or typical PC user, "There's just no software for the Mac."

          Apple Fanboy and Mac User, "Oh really? How many different word processors do you need? So what there's 20,000 titles for DOS, Windows3.x and Windows 95 or any other flavor of Microsoft Operating Systems compared to 8,000 titles for Macintosh. What that really means is there are 19,990 titles PC owners will never use and 7,970 titles Mac owners will never use." Then the Fanboy would usually add, "Oh, one more thing. Mac Users BUY more software. PC Users pirate more software."

          You don't hear much of those exchanges any more. These days, with the mutual cross licensing agreements Jobs and Gates announced in '97 in connection with the patent suit settlement, both platforms get the tasks done without too many differences.

          The MacTel transition really put an end to the Mac vs. PC venom of the late '80s and through the '90s. These days, the Macintosh hardware advantages really come into play when the user needs to run Windows software as well. The MacTel computer really is two machines in one for those in need of such setups. Whether in native via Boot Camp or using either of the two virtualization options, what OS one prefers is an argument no longer needed to be had.

          I must say though, I do miss being able to use some of my best comebacks since the 2006 transition to Intel. But hey, now we Fanboys get to battle in a new a platform War: iOS vs. Android. "Let's go to the mattresses!"

          To the Good Ol' Days!
          Joe Benevides
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  • Profile picture of the author deu12000
    For online business there is no competition...Windows. If you're looking to scale up...Windows. Not only cost being a factor (but that should be a big factor with all businesses), but just compatibility issues and why bother having two OS's on your computer when you can do it all with one? I run Windows on all of my computers and I don't have any extra OS's clogging up my hard drive I have no need to; my computers all work fine.

    My personal computer and my business computers don't have virus issues because they aren't used for things that cause viruses (warez, porn, shady sites in general). My son and wife's computers get spyware every once in a while, but that's because they click on everything they see and are inexperienced computer users. My solution, every once in a while I clean their computers (using freeware) that of course you just click Go and after a few hours (unattended) they're clean. It's general maintenance and it literally takes a few minutes of my time every few months.

    Windows has all the programs you need, especially if you really want to scale up and get into more automation for the things you do.
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  • Profile picture of the author graham41
    I am now officially not sure on this issue again
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  • Profile picture of the author Mr. Enthusiastic
    Well, if you want the devil's advocate service:

    Windows can be less money up front, since there are so many vendors and you can customize the exact hardware you want.

    Thinkpad keyboard quality and Toughbook sturdiness are just not available in any Mac laptop.

    For desktops, there are more options to incrementally upgrade one component at a time, if you'd like to do your own tinkering; but Mac desktops tend to hold their economic value and utility longer, so this might balance out.

    There are a great variety of programs of every type for Windows, which would run full speed if you boot to Windows on your Mac, but would run slower if you run them side by side with Mac OS.

    There are more people who use Windows, so there's a wider variety of opinions about how to use it. Some of those opinions are even worth something.

    Windows is far more of a target for viruses and such, so you absolutely must invest more time, money, and effort in security than with the Mac. If you have the time, talent, and interest, or don't mind finding a good expert, this might cost less for you than the price difference for a Mac.

    Personally, based on over two decades of computing, I think you should get the Mac without a moment's regret.
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  • Profile picture of the author Si ODonovan
    Banned
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author Josh Anderson
      The quote below is why for many IM business models Osx alone won't do.

      That is why I have both.

      I built a Mac pro using nice PC hardware (quad core duo, high end video card, 8 gigs of ram) using the efix dongle and a OSX operating system I bought from Best Buy.

      I saved about $2400 over purchasing a comparable unit from Apple... my mac pro alternative cost under $1k to build. I can dual boot windows and osx and I can also run parallels with windows installed since its running on an intel quad core duo processor.

      Even in the UK you could do this:

      efix usb, efix usa, efix usb dongle, efix review, express pc, buy efix usb, efix usb v1.1, efix usb v2, efix i7, - EXPRESSHD.COM

      UK distributor

      Some people can operate just fine on Mac. But for me it would be impossible... there is just so much I need to do that requires a PC and no matter how much people claim otherwise...

      Being OsX only would be a severe handicap in my business. Windows is a requirement to run much of the software I use on a daily basis.

      If they made a commercial for me it would be one guy standing there by himself saying:

      "I am a Mac and I am also a PC."



      Originally Posted by Si ODonovan View Post

      Hi Graham41,

      I've just switched form a PC to a Macbook Pro. I love it and I hate.
      It is really nice has lots of great software and features and good battery life etc, etc.
      The problem is I have found that there are a lot of things that are not compatible with a Mac and some of my favourite app such as robo form don't have a mac version. Other software that I use seems to be completely different on a mac again so you have to take the time to re learn it. I have had to buy and install windows to keep using certain programs. My website software for example doesn't have a Mac version.

      So in short they are great laptops but you will have problems to overcome I'm sure.
      I think in general Mac are probably nicer to use but for IM I am serious thinking of seling it while it is still new and getting myself another PC.

      I hope this helps you
      Si
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      • Profile picture of the author Glenn72
        Originally Posted by Josh Anderson View Post

        The quote below is why for many IM business models Osx alone won't do.

        That is why I have both.

        I built a Mac pro using nice PC hardware (quad core duo, high end video card, 8 gigs of ram) using the efix dongle and a OSX operating system I bought from Best Buy.

        I saved about $2400 over purchasing a comparable unit from Apple... my mac pro alternative cost under $1k to build. I can dual boot windows and osx and I can also run parallels with windows installed since its running on an intel quad core duo processor.

        Even in the UK you could do this:

        efix usb, efix usa, efix usb dongle, efix review, express pc, buy efix usb, efix usb v1.1, efix usb v2, efix i7, - EXPRESSHD.COM

        UK distributor

        Some people can operate just fine on Mac. But for me it would be impossible... there is just so much I need to do that requires a PC and no matter how much people claim otherwise...

        Being OsX only would be a severe handicap in my business. Windows is a requirement to run much of the software I use on a daily basis.

        If they made a commercial for me it would be one guy standing there by himself saying:

        "I am a Mac and I am also a PC."
        Best post in this entire thread!

        Efix sounds like a great solution for those who want to run OS-X without the overpriced Apple hardware. I've known about 'Hackintosh's' for quite some time, but I never knew about this before.

        That said, the new 27" iMac looks quite nice, especially with the extra screen resolution. Although with a machine like that I would want to kill off OS-X completely and just run Windows on there.
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    • Profile picture of the author mojojuju
      Originally Posted by Si ODonovan View Post

      Hi Graham41,

      The problem is I have found that there are a lot of things that are not compatible with a Mac and some of my favourite app such as robo form don't have a mac version.
      Instead of roboform, you might want to try KeePass.
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  • Buy a mac mate, i've just ordered a customised mac, for nearly £3000, there is a software you can buy so that WINDOWS programs DO work on the mac!

    apple do sell this, which i've just bought. I'm just waiting for the delivery now!

    By the way i've always used Windows laptops! Thanks to the warrior forum, Money is no issue!
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    • Profile picture of the author mojojuju
      Originally Posted by dragonetinvestments View Post

      there is a software you can buy so that WINDOWS programs DO work on the mac!
      If you're referring to CrossOver Mac by CodeWeavers then yes, sort of. You can run some windows programs on a Mac with that. I've used the Linux version and it was good, but the only way to get complete compatibility with Windows applications is to use Windows.


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  • Profile picture of the author ChristineP
    In my own experience - MAC.

    My laptop is my life and I'm totally sold on my mac.

    I've had desktop and laptop windows machines - since moving to MAC - I wonder why it wasn't way sooner.

    It seems the majority of these posts cover the pro's.

    I run parallels for any windows apps - and have no compatability issues (and trust me - I consult to Gov't and they are windows all the way)

    My last windows laptop - the drive blew 11 months after purchase.
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  • Profile picture of the author Marian Berghes
    In terms of workflow, for me personally the Mac is like 5x more productive...I've been a windows user since windows 95 on my first computer...I played with OS X for 1 month...I was hooked...the workflow is just much, much faster for me.

    Also, unless you know what your doing I wouldn't recommend "building" a Mac yourself...I thought that too until a couple of weeks ago when I went on a OC forum and saw a thread with benchmarks comparing the Quad Core Mac Pro with self-build Mac Pro's...in almost every benchmark the "original" Mac Pro won...it got almost to a tie when the guys started to modify voltages, cooling solutions, power supplies, overclocking the ram etc...
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  • Profile picture of the author Platinum Matt
    You only need a really basic computer... but if you're going to buy one...

    Get a MAC.
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    • I recently bought an iMac 27" because of the FANTASTIC screen. As far as the operating system goes, I personally still like better Windows environment. I've only been with this iMac for 2 weeks, but like I say I still havent noticed the "Mac" super duper factor to be honest.
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    • Profile picture of the author Daniel R
      I use both and if I have to choose I would go with the Mac, PCs are nothing but a constant headache for me
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  • Profile picture of the author Slin
    PC by far man.

    Cheaper, just as reliable, and runs more programs.

    I don't really get the whole Mac fad, my dad got a free one for work and we took it for a spin.

    My PC can do everything his mac can do, heck it can do more! I run open office, which is completely free, and extremely nice. I run VLC player, plays any movie.

    I have two laptops, one is ten years old, the other is a new netbook, only 6 months. Both have never had a virus, nor have I ever paid for antivirus software (I use free AVG)

    In comparison we couldn't really see the advantage to switching to a mac.

    (Note: I am computer savy, if you aren't really good with computers a mac may just be for you, but if your used to a computer I don't see why you would change.)
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  • Profile picture of the author AvidAZ
    I think it comes down to a personal preference. I use both and love them both for different reasons.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dr Dan
    Originally Posted by graham41 View Post

    Hi,

    I am about to throw my entire lot in with IM fulltime.

    I am having trouble deciding on whether I should invest in a far more expensive Mac Book Pro or a Windows Laptop.

    As asuccessful IMer which one do you use and why?

    G
    Get a mac! I switched about 2 years ago and I will never buy a PC again. The main thing is the amount of time I save not having to restart and recover my Mac from all the crashes like I do with my PC's.
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  • Profile picture of the author JordanFrancis
    Here's an interesting article on "why you should consider OS X" -

    Marco.org - Why you should consider OS X
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  • Profile picture of the author troy23
    Don't get me wrong man. I am actually a fan of Apple....I think Microsoft should throw in the towel in the MP3 and smartphone market. Equally I think Apple should do the same with the computer market.
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    • Profile picture of the author JordanFrancis
      Originally Posted by troy23 View Post

      Don't get me wrong man. I am actually a fan of Apple....I think Microsoft should throw in the towel in the MP3 and smartphone market. Equally I think Apple should do the same with the computer market.
      LOL.

      Apple should quit the computer market. Awesome. Oh boy.
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  • Profile picture of the author troy23
    Yep stick to phones and MP3 players....they've shifted a few of those.
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  • Profile picture of the author AffiliateAdshare
    Its not necessary to utilize an apple computer. However if you do have the money to spend then by all means purchase one. But its definitely not needed
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  • Profile picture of the author graham41
    What ever the truth of which one is better, appeaRs to be irrelevant to teenagers especially girls and the resale market where amazing product placement on teen shows mean that macs have incredible trend appeal to the young and windows is looking so last century and boring to them.

    Try as I might my daughter would prefer to go without a computer if it meant not having a mac ( any mac however old), the thought of having to display a dell or a packard bell pc to her friends was the equivalent of becomming a social outcast.

    So I just bought her a 15 month old mac pro for £485 , and I will just have to keep my 7 year old windows pc and get is refurbished and rebuilt.

    The power of girls over their dads-I tell ya.

    G
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    • Profile picture of the author trafficwave
      Originally Posted by graham41 View Post

      The power of girls over their dads-I tell ya.

      G
      That's a debate no forum discussion will ever resolve.

      The daughters win out ... EVERY time!

      Dads ... we've got no chance.
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  • Profile picture of the author WD Mino
    Hi,

    well i bought my wife a macbook pro. and i am thoroughly disgusted with it. she cannot run any programs aside from mac osx compatible she cannot do an awful lot and i go spend 2000 bucks for a computer i then have to buy her the new software that comes i have to buy her the aple add ons so she can keep her email and stuff going whatever they are called so each year for 3 yrs now i have had to put out another 800.00 i paid 1600 for mine and can do everything with 0 issue use any program and develop whatever i want oh sure you could run a virtual desktop on mac to run windows but why bother it's a waste of cash and my wife now wants a laptop like mine. way to go mac!
    this is why i am a pc
    -WD
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  • Profile picture of the author petelta
    I've built PCs since early college as a hobby and I'm just now starting to look into Macs. I think with my video editing Im doing these days for my IM products a MAC would be the way to go.
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  • Profile picture of the author Joshua Aikens
    I just got an email from a friend that was a pure Mac hater asking me about iWork and Aperture. It looks like Hell is freezing over just a tad.

    Only bummer is, if they get really popular then the viruses and other sleaze will come too.

    You won't be sorry about going Mac.

    Josh
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  • Profile picture of the author l23bc
    after this month i have become a windows hater, i used to be the main person from even college days who loved windows 3.1 95 98 2000 xp vista and windows 7 or to be frank,anything they made

    but all i have had is nothing but problems however i own a mac book pro and i can say i never had one problem with it compared to all the operating systems of windows and things like dirvers since apple just places it all on the website so its more easy to find and download

    go for mac..because after mac you never go back,

    thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author earsaver
    There are great values to be had in the aftermarket for previously owned MacBooks and MacBook Pro models. One of the best sources for such deals are education Asset liquidators. I just acquired a fully tricked out 2008 MacBook Pro at a fraction of its original cost.

    Apple's products retain far greater value over time than similar Wintel laptops. You have an added advantage of running the MS Operating system either natively via Boot Camp or in virtualization with Parallels or Fusion.

    I purchased the 2.4GHz 15.4 inch MacBook Pro with 4GB RAM and a 250 GB HD for just $325! Now, it came without a viable battery or power charger. However, I got the new battery for just $30 and the new Apple charger for $16.

    I have the same model (with just 2GB RAM) and paid $1970 in 2008. You will do well to consider on of these.

    Joe Benevides
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  • Profile picture of the author MartinPlatt
    Ha ha ha. You think buying the right computer will lead to success??

    I have both. I have a MacBook Air, and I have a 6 Core 3.33GHz, 12 GB RAM Machine with all the bells and whilstles.

    Guess which one is fastest? They both basically do the same job. And I don't really think that one is easier or harder to use than the other.

    If you get a Mac you can run a Windows virtual machine, and get the best of both worlds (you can do the same in reverse with a Windows machine, but it's a bit harder)

    To help you understand my reasons. I got the PC because I wanted a fast and powerful machine with lots of software for it. I got the Mac because I wanted portability, and to be able to open the computer and use it straight away (there are PCs that do this also) The downside to the Mac is that there isn't anywhere near as much software for it. On the other hand, in most cases, there is enough.

    Don't buy into the usual childish mac vs pc rubbish. My Mac does look pretty, but there are Windows machines that look almost identical. My Windows machine is a beast, you probably can't get a Mac version of this. I can get most software on Mac, but Windows definitely has more, and has the edge. I personally have not found anything on Mac that makes me think that it is better. Aside from the availability of more software and peripherals for it, functionality wise, there's nothing in it any more.

    So I'd go with what you're used to, then from the sounds of thing whether you wanted to pay less, for more, get a PC. If you're into the Mac interface get that.

    Personally if I didn't have a machine, I'd recommend a PC, just because you have more available for it, and for a cheaper price. I like both.
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  • Profile picture of the author Romeo90
    I ditched my Windows based machines last year and went for an iMac 27 and MBA 13'3.

    I have never looked back.

    But the OP's question is largely down to one thing: budget. If you have the money, go for Apple.
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  • Profile picture of the author sabatek
    Originally Posted by graham41 View Post

    Hi,

    I am about to throw my entire lot in with IM fulltime.

    I am having trouble deciding on whether I should invest in a far more expensive Mac Book Pro or a Windows Laptop.

    As asuccessful IMer which one do you use and why?

    G

    Mac Book Pro. It is what I love and use. I never have to worry about viruses or it crashing. I love creating things like websites on it as well.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sushiman1111
    I'm a Mac guy, my wife is a Wintel girl. Neither of us has much problem with our computers, but she spends a lot of time updating and running anti-virus software, making sure everything is perfect, and I just basically leave my Mac on all the time. (Shut down once every week or two just to empty the cache.) I agree with whoever posted above that a Mac will save you lots of time not rebooting and so on. Yes, there are some programs that are available for Windows and not Mac, but that's becoming less and less so with the new AIR platform stuff. So I vote Mac, especially if you're not super-technical (which I'm not).
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  • Profile picture of the author Nathan Bumstead
    Now realize this question is coming from a guy who spent 10 years in a corporate IT environment...

    Why do 75% of people that buy Mac's - drive Volkswagens and have a bike rack on the back?

    Just something I've noticed...

    It's funny, because it's true.
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    • Profile picture of the author mojojuju
      Originally Posted by Nathan Bumstead View Post

      Now realize this question is coming from a guy who spent 10 years in a corporate IT environment...

      Why do 75% of people that buy Mac's - drive Volkswagens and have a bike rack on the back?

      Just something I've noticed...

      It's funny, because it's true.
      Because fashion, that's why.
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  • Profile picture of the author MrMonetize
    Another iMac user here. It's by far the most productive computer out of my machines. I use VirtualBox with Win7 on the Mac to run Windows only software, and own another Win7 computer.

    I would buy a Mac if I were you, no contest..
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  • Profile picture of the author lanew
    Mac! Even a few years ago, I would have said PC. But no reason for it now. I've been a mac user for 20 years, and I can tell you. The ROI is worth it. For instance, I just upgraded from my 13inch G4 powerbook that I bought in 2004.

    Be well,
    Lane
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  • Profile picture of the author Robert Montgomery
    Ugh forget mac unless you wanna be one of those sat at Starbucks on your own with your shiny turd on your lap thinking you look cool.

    PC is the way to go Windows 8 with touchscreen
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  • Profile picture of the author xxxJamesxxx
    Originally Posted by graham41 View Post

    Hi,

    I am about to throw my entire lot in with IM fulltime.

    I am having trouble deciding on whether I should invest in a far more expensive Mac Book Pro or a Windows Laptop.

    As asuccessful IMer which one do you use and why?

    G
    I bought a Macbook Air and a Macbook Pro last year and I would never go back to Windows again.

    But saying that, you don't need a Mac to make money online or build an internet business.

    If money tight, get a PC... That's more than enough for what you need or ever need for that matter.

    At the end of the day, a Mac is basically something you "want" more than you "need" to make money online.

    James Scholes
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    • Profile picture of the author earsaver
      Your exactly right. These days, the operating system one uses has very little effect on quantifiable money making potential. In fact, the device itself is becoming less important as tablets, particularly iPads, become more prevalent.

      I find myself doing most of my writing on the iPad rather than my Macbook Pro or iMac. Browsers are generally cross platform. But if a site is optimized for Explorer and not Safari, I use FireFox. If I come across a video that is Flash based, I view it on the Mac instead of the iPad.

      Joe Benevides
      Signature

      Macs4newbies.com

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  • Profile picture of the author moosag
    It all comes down to ECOSYSTEM!

    I have iPad / iPhone but run Windows. But I am a MS programmer and so I need my Windows machine. Difference is I have the ability and skill to mix and match my ecosystem to make sure that everything is in 1 central place:
    - Documents
    - Code
    - Videos
    - IM Stuff (downloads, courses, pdf's, etc)
    - Bookmarks
    - etc..

    And the most important thing is that I can access whatever part of my Assets be it a video, a document, a piece of code, a remote session on a dedicated server etc... ALL FROM 1 PLACE!

    I have sat in airports and written SQL Queries via my iPad through TeamViewer to my home machine etc.

    If you a non-techie person than go with the most ease of use platform. A platform that you can achieve everything on and more. I personally can't use the Mac OS because I way too use to the Windows OS. But the iPhone and the iOS platforms are brilliant! They just work! No tinkering and no fuss. They work extremely well!!

    Don't go for overly complex. Go for what works and what will save you time down the line. That is the best advice I can give you.
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