Anyone here have a Mac ??

I switched to a Powerbook, then switched back. Don't get me wrong, the Powerbook was an awesome machine, but the 2-2.5 hours of battery life you will get out of it will most likely send you running for the AC Adapter. The processor is also very slow compared to the newer G5's available, along with the 167MHZ FSB and DDR333 memory that it can't even fully utilize. I would get a PC laptop, as the performance will be much better, as will the battery life. If you are looking to switch, which by all means I strongly advocate that you at least try, go for an iMac or PowerMac G5. OS X is amazing, and it's functionality is awesome, especially when compared to Windows. The switch isn't hard, as it is an incredibly intuitive OS, and you will most likely find yourself surprised at how quickly you can learn how to use it. I would suggest for a beginner, just to have a quick reference to certain things, David Pogue's "Missing Manual" books for OS X and the iApps. His books are excellent, full of detail, very easy to understand, and are written for switchers/dedicated Mac users alike.

The Apple hardware is good, but their software sucks. If they could ship Apple machines with Windows, I would probably buy one of those.

I am praying my sarcasm meter is broken, otherwise you are an idiot and have no idea what you are talking about.

It really depends on what you want to do if you're going to switch. A lot of stuff is not available on OSX especially when it comes to the newer games, but the basic word processor, spreadsheet is available. It's been a while since I've played around with Macs, but my Performa 577, (circa 1993 with OS 7.5.1, is still around and still gets used )

Basically, tell what you want to do with the new computer, and possibly post this in the Apple section, and people will be able to guide you better! Good luck with the new system either way you go.

hmm.. windows xp or a unix based operating system.... you are an idiot

It really comes down to software. The performance might be an issue but since your not a gamer you might not notice. Powerbooks are made for video/multimedia editing so they can't be that bad.

I have never used a Mac, but I have tried Linux. For me the switch came down to software. I am currently going to college so I had to stay with windows for the applications I needed to run. Otherwise linux has been awesome. As long as the programs you mostly use are availible for Mac at a good price, then you should be ok in the switch. Have you done a test drive with the OS yet? If not you may want to go to a local store and spend some time with it.

It really comes down to the software so if you can be satisfied with what Mac has to offer then you should be ok with a Mac. Do you do any video editing or DVD creation? If so then you will be very happy with the Mac software.

well, its a complicated issue. A switch would not be as hard now as it used to be, bit there are some important things to keep in mind. If you've got a lot of expensive software like photoshop, you would need to re-purchase it for a mac, plus they are more expensive to begin with. But the OS itself is more stable and in many ways easier and better. Also, powerbooks are thinner. So if you can afford the switch, it might be worth it, but you could also be fine with a 6000 or 700m (i'd reccomend a 700m).

get a 700m..

even if you don't need to "re-purchase" software, its still hard to "find"

Have you looked at the 600m or the Latitude 15" models? Those fill in the gap somewhat between the 700m and 6000. All in all though, if all this computer is going to do is surf the net, write papers and little else, either OS should work fine.

well, we still have to hear what you're going to use it for, because that's the important factor here.

mmmm.i would say the 600m is cool, but widescreen is just so much more appealing

"finding" software for Mac is easy if you know where to look.

yeah.. i know where to look.. i'm past kazaa or limewire, or irc, or bit torrent, i meant finding software as in more software companies make software for pc rather than mac.. im sure there are mac equivalents for ALMOST everything out there, but theyre missing a lot too

*nix based OS (including bsd (osx)) have advantage as well as disadvantage compared to windows. Some user prefer one from another. Im not saying windows is superior to *nix os or anything, hey I prefer FreeBSD over windows. But you gotta be open minded about it. If someone prefers something from another it does not mean he's an idiot, it just mean he likes Brand a better than Brand b. Eveyone hates microsoft because they force their product to end users. That's what I learned, if someone likes windows, its up to them, if they are familiar and comfortable with it, thats fine, right. Im not gonna force them or tell them they are an idiot just because they dont like what I use. Or because their personal opinion have conflict with mine.

My point is everyone is entitled to their own opinion and we should respect however "idiotic" we think it is.

Well, everyone does have their own opinion, but Windows is definitely not better than OSX. I am a windows user and have never owned a mac(but plan on owning one), but how many security updates do you have to get with windows? protection? blue screen's of death? OSX is much more stable, friendly user interface, therefore I think it is better than Windows.

Anyway, about the main topic, I plan on getting a mac, once I have enough money because they are a bit pricey. Hopefully the prices will go down after WWDC2005 premieres on June 6th.

That security question is not entirely valid as Mac doesn't take the ammount of flak that windows does. Im not saying one is more secure than the other. Its like saying that Firefox is more secure than IE. Well for a while there Firefox had a huge hole, just noone took advantage of it. Now having an off-brand OS is a little more secure in the fact its odds of an attack are more slim but if it does get targeted, will it survive? Do you want to take the chance? If Mac had 90% of the computer market, or linux for that matter, it would be just as "Unsecure" as you say, with tons of security updates.

For anyone looking for an OS, windows is just as secure as other with the right protection, and no matter what OS you have you always need protection.

yeah.. ok everyone is entitled to their own opinions.. but if i say that 2 > 1 that's a fact, if i also say that 64-bit somewhat non-crashable osx > 32-bit windows xp pro, that's also a fact.. yeah yeah i know there's a 64 bit version of windows out NOW, but what do those computers come loaded with from manufacturers..

before everyone tries to jump on me about that

OK, back on topic.

I've owned both types of systems (started with Mac and have flipped/flopped several times). My most recent Mac was one of the new 2005 15" PBs. Contrast that with my current machine (sig below). What it really boils down too is what your wants and needs are. Sounds simple but as you can imagine that is hardly the case. Here's my take:

You can find just about any software on the Mac that you are/would be using on a PC. So that isn't really an issue. For general purpose use iLife '05 includes some fantastic apps that regardless how much money you spend you won't find equivalent PC versions. Yeah it's that good...simple, powerful, elegant. Probably for most users throwing in a copy of Office 2004 (get the academic version and save some $$) and you're set for most everyday uses.

The hardware is nicely designed and works quite well. The PBs aren't the fastest Macs on the planet, but they never have been. They do what they are designed to do which is expand your work/office space to a mobile environment. In that regard they are the best Macs available.

The reason why I don't currently own a Mac is very simple. My needs require me to interact with a purely PC environment at work. Macs, while nearly completely compatible with the PC world, still have issues interfacing with M$ networks and file shares. Work also requires me to run some proprietary software. I did run VirtualPC but it's dog slow. My other issue is that the older version of Safari (now upgraded in Tiger) had compatibility issues with some of the websites my wife uses for business. I haven't tried Safari since the OSX update so I don't know if the issues have been resolved. Other than that I've loved every Mac that I've owned.

If you've never owned a Mac you definitely need to go to an Apple Store (much better than CUSA) and spend some time surfing, probing, and asking questions. You won't be the first person to show up considering switching. You'll have a good time and you'll come away with a little more knowledge and respect for the other platform. If after that you still have reservations I would suggest going for the i6000. It's a good machine.