First off, I want to state that I am a life long PC user, my first PC being a 133mhz P1 w/28k modem and Windows 95. I've been through every generation of Windows since then and have owned 10 or 12 different PCs since then - my last two PCs being an Inspiron6000D loaded to the max from Dell, and a Gateway 2.2GHZ Athlon, 512, 160, DVDRW. So as you can imagine, I was pretty skeptical about making the switch to Mac.
After endless research, comparing, checking message boards, and tough deliberation, I decided to make the jump and purchase a PowerBook. I keep all of my PCs running in top shape, never having any pop-ups, viruses, etc. But the effort that it takes to keep a PC running well feels like an uphill battle that you literally have to take on every single day. I finally got fed up with it. It got to the point where I actually dreaded turning on the PC because I knew I'd have to do a spyware scan, virus scan, take items off the start-up list, and even after doing all of that, certain programs were still painfully slow. I finally had enough and wanted to explore other avenues.
I decided to go with the 12" PowerBook. OSX 10.4.4, 1.5ghz G4, 768 MB (supposed to be 512 but Apple shipped to me with 768? no complaints!) 80GB, SuperDrive, BT, AE.
Initial reaction - I don't even need to say it as everyone is already well aware. The form factor of the machine is miles ahead of any other laptop...period. The thing is beautiful. There is definately a unique feel to handling a PowerBook. The build is sleek and solid and the keyboard is great, giving no flex whatsoever.
Set up was a breeze. It took no more than 15 minutes to go from start up to being on the net. The AE card instantly recognized my wireless signal - no additional set up required. Literally, a 5th grader could set this thing up.
I gave it two weeks so I could write a fair review, as I know most PCs are pretty quick right out of the box but slow down considerably after loading 40 gigs of music, videos, programs, and other files onto them, then surfing the web and downloading more things. After two weeks and loading 40 gigs of files onto this off of my external hard drive, it's still running like a champ...faster and EASILY more stable than ANY PC I've owned...period! I cannot say enough about the stability of OSX. Two weeks of solid, consistent use and still haven't had to reboot for any reason other than going to bed at night and letting the computer get a nap. Also haven't had to force quit any programs. I'm constantly running Safari, iTunes, LimeWire, BitTorrent, and Photoshop, and there hasn't been any memory shortage, lag in any of the programs, or any need to force quit or restart anything. I've found the stability of this to be remarkable thus far.
My primary concern about switching to Mac was the same misconception most PC users have who are afraid to embrace a good change to their PC lives..."will I be able to use "x" program on a Mac?" "There aren't as many programs for a Mac." I've found that I can do everything I could on a PC - video editing, music, photo editing, word processing, downloading, surfing, everything - even better than before. I find myself constantly finding new programs, new widgets, new tweaks...new everything. I'm using programs and doing things on this PowerBook that I never even thought of doing on any PC. So far it has been very inducive to creative thought and change.
Battery life is excellent (3 hours atleast, multi-tasking, lcd turned down 2 or 3 notches, running iTunes). Keyboard, as I mentioned before is great - solid build with no flex. The misconception that the laptop is too hot is just that...a misconception. I've owned three PC laptops and this is absolutely no hotter than previous laptops I've owned. AirPort reception is also great, although I'm never more than 20-30 feet away from the router. Native screen resolution is 1024x768, so it won't make your jaw drop, but you also won't have to squint your eyes like some people say they do. This thing is also virtually silent, with the fan only coming on when you're doing heavy multi-tasking, and even then it is only a quiet whirring sound that you hear. The accompanying software that comes with OSX is also a great compliment to an amazing OS. I personally love Safari; the seamlesss integration it has with OSX is a pleasant change from IE.
I could go on for hours about Quartz graphics, Spotlight Search, Dashboard, widgets, expose`, and all of the other small but intuitive features that are integrated with OSX. Bottom line...this thing is AWESOME. It's pretty amazing, the improvements that have been made since OS9 (last time I really used a Mac). OSX is truly a breath of fresh air. The upkeeping it requires to run smoothly is microscopic compared to PCs. Stability, productivity, speed, function, style, and features - I absolutely could not be happier with my purchase and I have no intentions of switching back to PC. My suggesstion - if anyone is curious, fed up with Windows, or is bored and just wants to give it a try, I strongly suggest giving OSX a shot.
After endless research, comparing, checking message boards, and tough deliberation, I decided to make the jump and purchase a PowerBook. I keep all of my PCs running in top shape, never having any pop-ups, viruses, etc. But the effort that it takes to keep a PC running well feels like an uphill battle that you literally have to take on every single day. I finally got fed up with it. It got to the point where I actually dreaded turning on the PC because I knew I'd have to do a spyware scan, virus scan, take items off the start-up list, and even after doing all of that, certain programs were still painfully slow. I finally had enough and wanted to explore other avenues.
I decided to go with the 12" PowerBook. OSX 10.4.4, 1.5ghz G4, 768 MB (supposed to be 512 but Apple shipped to me with 768? no complaints!) 80GB, SuperDrive, BT, AE.
Initial reaction - I don't even need to say it as everyone is already well aware. The form factor of the machine is miles ahead of any other laptop...period. The thing is beautiful. There is definately a unique feel to handling a PowerBook. The build is sleek and solid and the keyboard is great, giving no flex whatsoever.
Set up was a breeze. It took no more than 15 minutes to go from start up to being on the net. The AE card instantly recognized my wireless signal - no additional set up required. Literally, a 5th grader could set this thing up.
I gave it two weeks so I could write a fair review, as I know most PCs are pretty quick right out of the box but slow down considerably after loading 40 gigs of music, videos, programs, and other files onto them, then surfing the web and downloading more things. After two weeks and loading 40 gigs of files onto this off of my external hard drive, it's still running like a champ...faster and EASILY more stable than ANY PC I've owned...period! I cannot say enough about the stability of OSX. Two weeks of solid, consistent use and still haven't had to reboot for any reason other than going to bed at night and letting the computer get a nap. Also haven't had to force quit any programs. I'm constantly running Safari, iTunes, LimeWire, BitTorrent, and Photoshop, and there hasn't been any memory shortage, lag in any of the programs, or any need to force quit or restart anything. I've found the stability of this to be remarkable thus far.
My primary concern about switching to Mac was the same misconception most PC users have who are afraid to embrace a good change to their PC lives..."will I be able to use "x" program on a Mac?" "There aren't as many programs for a Mac." I've found that I can do everything I could on a PC - video editing, music, photo editing, word processing, downloading, surfing, everything - even better than before. I find myself constantly finding new programs, new widgets, new tweaks...new everything. I'm using programs and doing things on this PowerBook that I never even thought of doing on any PC. So far it has been very inducive to creative thought and change.
Battery life is excellent (3 hours atleast, multi-tasking, lcd turned down 2 or 3 notches, running iTunes). Keyboard, as I mentioned before is great - solid build with no flex. The misconception that the laptop is too hot is just that...a misconception. I've owned three PC laptops and this is absolutely no hotter than previous laptops I've owned. AirPort reception is also great, although I'm never more than 20-30 feet away from the router. Native screen resolution is 1024x768, so it won't make your jaw drop, but you also won't have to squint your eyes like some people say they do. This thing is also virtually silent, with the fan only coming on when you're doing heavy multi-tasking, and even then it is only a quiet whirring sound that you hear. The accompanying software that comes with OSX is also a great compliment to an amazing OS. I personally love Safari; the seamlesss integration it has with OSX is a pleasant change from IE.
I could go on for hours about Quartz graphics, Spotlight Search, Dashboard, widgets, expose`, and all of the other small but intuitive features that are integrated with OSX. Bottom line...this thing is AWESOME. It's pretty amazing, the improvements that have been made since OS9 (last time I really used a Mac). OSX is truly a breath of fresh air. The upkeeping it requires to run smoothly is microscopic compared to PCs. Stability, productivity, speed, function, style, and features - I absolutely could not be happier with my purchase and I have no intentions of switching back to PC. My suggesstion - if anyone is curious, fed up with Windows, or is bored and just wants to give it a try, I strongly suggest giving OSX a shot.
