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Feanor
06-06-2014, 05:40 AM
My 6 year old Vista desktop machine is slow and getting flakey, and I think it's time to replace it with a new desktop. I'm looking for a general purpose computer in this case.

Should I go Windows or Mac mini? I've never owned an Apple but always kind of like the sound of one based on people's endorsement, etc.. I don't run intensive computer games; I do use a couple of Windows only programs but perhaps they could run in an Window emulator on Mac.

At one time I would have automatically gone for a PC because they were cheaper but nowadays it seems the price differential in case of desktop machines is pretty small. Intel Core i7-based Mac is within a hundred bucks or so of a Windows machine with the same CPU and RAM.

noddin0ff
06-06-2014, 09:01 AM
What do you use the computer for? I think the big factor on switching platforms is software compatibility, what do you have to buy, what do you have to relearn... That gap is basically closed for most purposes, but one never knows. It sucks to have to buy all new software. Office e.g. Lots of games not available on Mac.

My work tends to involve presentations of data and figures. I use Office, but not PowerPoint. Keynote (apple) is my presentation software of choice becuase it works more seemlessly with the various graphic formats, particularly .pdf (and can open and export in .ppt formats for the PowerPoint crowd). Tend to use Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

I do more and more unix/linux stuff as the years go. Seems to work well on the Unix foundation of the Mac. I'm not a pro though by any stretch.

They make nice lifestyle software with iMovie, iPhoto, iTunes...if you don't mind handing all your files over to the Apple ecosystem.

Obviously, if you have iPhones n iPads...you're halfway there already. I'll stay true to my iPhone for a while still. Although, I'm sold on Android-based tables and the ever further reaching arm of the Google ecosystem for fundamental and sync-able apps (calendar, mail).

You probably know the general truths about Macs. Higher cost (hardware and software), less options, easier use out of the box, fewer problems, virus and malware not really an issue.

Feanor
06-06-2014, 09:12 AM
What do you use the computer for? I think the big factor on switching platforms is software compatibility, what do you have to buy, what do you have to relearn... That gap is basically closed for most purposes, but one never knows. It sucks to have to buy all new software. Office e.g. Lots of games not available on Mac.

You probably know the general truths about Macs. Higher cost (hardware and software), less options, easier use out of the box, fewer problems, virus and malware not really an issue.

That's a major factor, actually. My personal learning curve isn't too much of a problem, but I would definitely prefer to maintain interoperability with Word and Excel. Work files aren't a problem now that I'm retired but family members will continue to use MS Office or Apache Open Office.

noddin0ff
06-06-2014, 01:02 PM
Well, MS Office files are completely interoperable between platforms. I exchange constantly with Windows users. The updates for Office Mac lag behind MS Office but I've never had issues. The menus are slightly rearranged. I think the general design of the layout, even though this is a MS product, still tends to be better on the MacOS.

Outlook hasn't ever been offered on the academic/student versions of Office that I've owned so I can't comment there.

A while back I tried open source NeoOffice. I'm sure there's other current options for the free side. Plus apple has their own simplified suite, emphasis on simplified.

Looks like some feature of the current office suite are still missing
Office for Mac : Simplify Your Work | Office For Mac (http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products)

You should also keep an eye on the product cycles if you're able to time your purchases
iPhone, iPad, Mac Buyer's Guide: Know When to Buy (http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#Mac)

Mac Mini's are at the end of their cycle and an update has been expected this summer
Mac mini: Overdue for an Update (http://www.macrumors.com/roundup/mac-mini/)
Pricepoints tend to stay the same, just updated products.

Feanor
06-06-2014, 01:18 PM
Mac Mini's are at the end of their cycle and an update has been expected this summer
Mac mini: Overdue for an Update (http://www.macrumors.com/roundup/mac-mini/)
Pricepoints tend to stay the same, just updated products.
It's good to know of the likelihood of Mac mini updates. Unless my PC frankly dies, I'll likely hold off purchasing for a few months.

ForeverAutumn
06-06-2014, 05:32 PM
I moved from Windows to Mac about five years ago. And I just bought a new MacBook Pro (my second) this year. The catalsyt for the change at the time was Windows Vista. At the time I was running some recording software that wasn't compatible with Vista unless I spent $500 to repurchase the latest version of the software. The guys at my local music store recommended that I invest that money in a new Mac instead and continue to run the older software version on it. Great advice IMO!

I love my Mac. There is a slight learning curve at first, but once you get the hang of how the OS operates, it's very intuitive. The new trackpad makes navigation so easy. I hate using my husband's laptop mouse now.

I have both iWorks and Office for Mac. I like iWorks, but since I also go to school part-time I had to get Office to ensure no compatibility issue when I'm emailing assignments in. Pages and Numbers will probably work, but I'm not willing to take the chance when I'm being graded. :) Plus, I can get the student price for Office through the college which is a lot cheaper.

One of the reasons that I like Apple is that they don't seem to make stupid, drastic changes to their OS. Vista was the reason that I switched to Apple in the first place and 6 months before I bought my new Macbook, my husband bought a laptop with Windows 8...which was a nightmare for him to learn. I, on the other hand, bought a Macbook with Mavericks (latest Apple OS) and LOVE it. Also, free OS upgrades with Apple. They don't make you pay every time they introduce a new OS.

Customer Service from Apple is outstanding. I've had a few problems along the way and they have been fantastic to deal with. The chaos of their stores stress me out, but the end result is always a good one. There is an Apple Store in London, so getting help from Apple, if you need it, should be easy. For $99 you can buy something called One-to-One. You can book appointments with an Apple specialist and they will teach you everything you need to know. They will also migrate all your files from your existing computer to your new Apple. It's $99 well spent if you're concerned about learning new programs.

Outlook seems to be compatible with Apple Mail and the Outlook calendar seems to integrate will with Apple's Calendar. I don't think that you'll have many (if any) issues with compatibility.

Feanor
06-06-2014, 06:15 PM
I moved from Windows to Mac about five years ago. And I just bought a new MacBook Pro (my second) this year. The catalsyt for the change at the time was Windows Vista. At the time I was running some recording software that wasn't compatible with Vista unless I spent $500 to repurchase the latest version of the software. The guys at my local music store recommended that I invest that money in a new Mac instead and continue to run the older software version on it. Great advice IMO!

I love my Mac. There is a slight learning curve at first, but once you get the hang of how the OS operates, it's very intuitive. The new trackpad makes navigation so easy. I hate using my husband's laptop mouse now.

I have both iWorks and Office for Mac. I like iWorks, but since I also go to school part-time I had to get Office to ensure no compatibility issue when I'm emailing assignments in. Pages and Numbers will probably work, but I'm not willing to take the chance when I'm being graded. :) Plus, I can get the student price for Office through the college which is a lot cheaper.

One of the reasons that I like Apple is that they don't seem to make stupid, drastic changes to their OS. Vista was the reason that I switched to Apple in the first place and 6 months before I bought my new Macbook, my husband bought a laptop with Windows 8...which was a nightmare for him to learn. I, on the other hand, bought a Macbook with Mavericks (latest Apple OS) and LOVE it. Also, free OS upgrades with Apple. They don't make you pay every time they introduce a new OS.

Customer Service from Apple is outstanding. I've had a few problems along the way and they have been fantastic to deal with. The chaos of their stores stress me out, but the end result is always a good one. There is an Apple Store in London, so getting help from Apple, if you need it, should be easy. For $99 you can buy something called One-to-One. You can book appointments with an Apple specialist and they will teach you everything you need to know. They will also migrate all your files from your existing computer to your new Apple. It's $99 well spent if you're concerned about learning new programs.

Outlook seems to be compatible with Apple Mail and the Outlook calendar seems to integrate will with Apple's Calendar. I don't think that you'll have many (if any) issues with compatibility.
Thank you, FA. This is very helpful indeed. Yes, there is a full-scale Apple Store here in London.

I'm not concerned about learning curve but I am about document interoperability.

BTW, my wife's laptop is Win 8.1, (originally 8). I solved the learning problem for her (and me) about 98% by install 'Classic Shell', a free program that restore the 'Start' button functionality exactly like it was in before -- you can choose to emulate XP, Vista, or Win 7 as you wish.

ForeverAutumn
06-06-2014, 06:30 PM
BTW, my wife's laptop is Win 8.1, (originally 8). I solved the learning problem for her (and me) about 98% by install 'Classic Shell', a free program that restore the 'Start' button functionality exactly like it was in before -- you can choose to emulate XP, Vista, or Win 7 as you wish.

We have installed that on my husband's computer now, but he had the computer for a couple of weeks before they released 8.1 and those first few weeks sucked. He is not very computer savvy and he needed the computer to look for a job, so it was very frustrating. I think he gave up and used my Mac a few times while I was at work. LOL!

Mr Peabody
06-07-2014, 06:05 AM
I was in the same boat when MS quit supporting XP. I wanted to go to Apple for the accessibility features built in. The learning curve was too much for me the $99 package is a great deal I just didn't have the time to get into the store and booking the appointments was a bit of a task for me. The Apple programs are cheap, like $20.00 for a Word type Apple program vs close to $200.00 or so for the Office package. At the time Mac was more expensive for the computer by a long shot but that may be different in Canada. I ended up with one of these HP All-in-One units with Win8. I personally like Win8, did download 8.1 but I wouldn't go back to the shell. I have an IPhone and use it just fine and the Mac was still foreign to me so I wouldn't personally say having an IPhone would be an advantage to learning to use a Mac. With all that being said I tend to use a lot of shortcut keys, so learning may depend on how you personally operate. Plus being retired would help to get in to get lessons, there's no limit on lessons in the one year. I did like the more quality feel of the Mac unit and their finger board that is anoption over the mouse can be a nice feature. I had files transferred from my Windows unit to the Mac and the Apple support did that for me with no issue. I was surprised that Apple was a bit behind on technology, at the time they had no solid state hard drive units nor touch screen capability. This All-in-One unit I have is like a hybrid between a CPU & tablet, I can use it as a large tablet or wireless mouse/keyboard and use as a desktop. I bought too big though to really carry it around like a real tablet, still very portable though with built in battery. The good thing about having an Apple store you can go in and play with the Mac to see how you like it and they will show it to you and answer any questions you may have. Like FA mentioned the store is a bit crazy but it's also some of the best customer service I've experienced.

Feanor
06-07-2014, 08:11 AM
Mr P, lots of nice things have been said about the Apple Mac, but I think I'm leaning to a Windows machine at the moment; (I could change my mind at any point).

I don't have a problem with Win 8.1 having found a 'Start' button replacement program that lets me by-pass the new top interface. I'm more familiar with Windows programs and have a large collection. But it's not so much learning curve as it is finding Apple replacements that would be the problem.

As for price, desktop hardware is virtually the same. I.e. an AMD FX processor based PC is the same price as most to the dollar as a Mac mini Core i5 based machine. Although if I had to buy a Windows emulator and copy of Windows for the Mac mini, it would be more expensive.

noddin0ff
06-07-2014, 01:57 PM
One more thing... Two button mice (right click) work just fine on macs. Don't know why Apple seems to keep this secret. You can right click on a mouse, two finger tap one the track pad, or command-click; all bring up the pop-up menus.