Is it worth Switching?

[MulletRobZ]

I've never tried a Mac except at apple stores,etc

"Why dont u try linux" is a bit overrated. I tried almost every linux distrubution there is, and def. EVERY WM on almost every rig (fast, slow, ultra slow).

Linux outright Sucks, I'm not afraid to say that, i was befoer because i didnt have the experience, i didnt try it by myself, etc. I can now say i am a novice linux user, and it sucks so bad. Currently my desktop is fluxbox on xubuntu and i occasinally use kde, etc sucks like crap. Windows is way better.

Not sure about mac.

Linux does not suck, SimNet. In fact, it is very popular for servers. It's just that IMHO, Linux is not designed to be a mainstream OS average users could count on. How so? There are too many distributions of Linux and the Linux kernel itself does not support as much hardware and premium software as Windows or Mac OS X. Sure, there's Wine and Cedega (for gaming), but I found both emulators to be unreliable. As for the hardware, finding the right drivers can be a literal pain in the butt and if you install the drivers incorrectly (mostly done via the terminal), you could possibly damage the entire system. Aside from that, I found Linux to be rock solid when I used it, but not always user-friendly. Then again, it's been a few years since I've last used Linux and chances are, things have changed since then.

As for the initial question on whether switching to a Mac is worthwhile, I say hell yeah! The only thing is that if you have never used a Mac before, it may take you a while to get used to it, but once you do, you will not want to switch to Windows again. And if you do need to use Windows-exclusive programs, just use Boot Camp or Parallels. ;)

[+John. Subscriber¹]

Well, I did it. Ordered the new MacBook as soon as it came out. Rock on for uni discounts.

PS Yes it might be a bit of a thread resurrection, but I started it :p

[MrFuji]

Me too :) And yes, uni discounts truly rock!

Which model did you get? I went for the low-end with a bigger hard-drive; $300? weren't worth the backlit keyboard imo...

[Kami-]

Happy with it John?

[+John. Subscriber¹]

Happy with it John?

Well, haven't got it yet :p Shipping out in a week or so. Judging by the first reviews however, I think I will :)

I got exactly the same model as you, MrFuji. I'm a uni student, so I didn't need anything better than that.

Personally, I think they've done a really decent update there, it looks really nice.

[Kami-]

Well, haven't got it yet :p Shipping out in a week or so. Judging by the first reviews however, I think I will :)

I got exactly the same model as you, MrFuji. I'm a uni student, so I didn't need anything better than that.

Personally, I think they've done a really decent update there, it looks really nice.

Ah okej :)

Well I hope you enjoy it when it does arrive. :)

[yamazaki]

Well, haven't got it yet :p Shipping out in a week or so. Judging by the first reviews however, I think I will :)

I got exactly the same model as you, MrFuji. I'm a uni student, so I didn't need anything better than that.

Personally, I think they've done a really decent update there, it looks really nice.

you will. trust me.

i switch from win to osx86 a year ago and bought a macbook right after. never regret every single second i spent with my mac.

[panicswitched]

it is soooo worth it

plus the educational discounts and specials!

i just got my macbook pro tonight :)

[EnzoFX]

Not only worth it and easy, but recommended.

[MrFuji]

i just got my macbook pro tonight :)

I'm envious. My MacBook will still need about two weeks, I guess... Still hasn't shipped yet because I used ordinary bank transfer...

[deuz]

what student discount do you get?, ours is $90 off mbp(<5%) which is lame considering at one point they were giving away ipods =\

[MrFuji]

I got around 12-13% due to the Apple-on-Campus programme. Normal student discount is 10% though. On the other hand, European Mac prices are too high anyway: a MacBook Pro costs 1799? = $2409

But well, I got an additional 125? rebate on a new iPod so I shouldn't compl:)n :)

[Quillz]

I just ordered my MacBook last night. If you go for the $1,599, the educational discount is still $100. Therefore, I ended up spending about $1,629 (including tax and shipping.) Should be here in a couple of days or so.

[MrFuji]

Finally... my MacBook is ready for shipment. Proposed delivery is still November 7th though. And I've ordered right after the keynote...

[LTD]

Congrats to all who purchased a Macbook or Macbook Pro.

Got mine just recently (the model right before the new ones came out), and I couldn't be happier with it.

If you plan on using it at home a lot, it's really worth getting a nice large display as well. You don't need to go in for a Cinema Display - not worth it, IMHO. I've never really been convinced about Apple's competence in that department. I heartily recommend the Samsung TOC series. Gorgeous displays.

[PyX]

Bah, the latest display from Apple has LED backlighting, has a killer design and everything. I didn't see it live though. If they do displays for iMacs, I've always loved mine then.

The only really big thing I can say is : this thing, is not ergonomic. It's too bright! When I wake up in themorning and I use my iMac with the brightness to its minimum, my eyes just want to die, and you see, it tires me for the rest of the day (no kidding). When I'll have this class about the ergonomy of lighting, I'll give another feedback info about how this thing is a killer. Right now it's just by looking at it that I come to conclusions, not by calculating anything.

Anyway, my MacBook was supposed to be here on Friday, but I was at university obviously, and my parents were working... so it's gonna be on Monday, and I won't be able to play with it by Thursday, when my exams are all over, otherwise I'll see a big FAIL on all my copies :o

I just can't wait... And now with these new Snow Leopard builds, it finally revived my hype with the next-gen OS X, I can't wait for that either!

[Brian M. Veteran]

Bah, the latest display from Apple has LED backlighting, has a killer design and everything. I didn't see it live though. If they do displays for iMacs, I've always loved mine then.

The only really big thing I can say is : this thing, is not ergonomic. It's too bright! When I wake up in themorning and I use my iMac with the brightness to its minimum, my eyes just want to die, and you see, it tires me for the rest of the day (no kidding). When I'll have this class about the ergonomy of lighting, I'll give another feedback info about how this thing is a killer. Right now it's just by looking at it that I come to conclusions, not by calculating anything.

Anyway, my MacBook was supposed to be here on Friday, but I was at university obviously, and my parents were working... so it's gonna be on Monday, and I won't be able to play with it by Thursday, when my exams are all over, otherwise I'll see a big FAIL on all my copies :o

I just can't wait... And now with these new Snow Leopard builds, it finally revived my hype with the next-gen OS X, I can't wait for that either!

That is the one issue I have with my Macbook (new Alu) - on it's lowest setting, the screen is too damn bright.

Don't get me wrong, for a glossy display, the screen is absolutely fantastic, however, in the evening, in a dimly lit room, it can be a little too bright - hopefully enough people feel the same, and Apple may issue a firmware update (I imagine adding an extra setting shouldn't be that hard).

[MrFuji]

Apparently, my MacBook will be delivered today :D

[Malisk]

I just got a MacBook Pro and am a bit surprised by those of you thinking the display is too bright if the ambient light is dim. :o Turning down the setting in the system settings makes my display pretty dim at already a 50% setting. *shrug* But maybe my eyes are just hard core and don't give in so easily, lol. But I really do believe the display then looks quite dim compared to most lcd's I've used... Hmm...

[Mercellus]

I switched almost a year ago and haven't looked back. Why?

1. I love the way that things "just work" on the Mac. Plug in a printer, connect to a network, plug in any peripheral, synchronizing my iPhone with iTunes, it all just works, I don't need to configure anything.

2. No crashes. I haven't had an application crash in my 10 1/2 months of using a Mac, let alone the operating system itself, which in my mind is quite impressive.

3. The software is well thought out, not just from Apple but from third parties as well. Everything works together, it's like a seamless experience, whereas on Windows (and even Linux) everything just feels thrown together; not even Microsoft's own applications follow the same set of design rules.

[King Antonius]

Welli have been a windows user my whole life. After using an iPhone for the past 6months, i decided to get a mac.

I decided to get a mca mini, incase i didnt like the OS, it didnt cost too much. So i got an onld G4 based mac mini off someone on here for a neat ?180 for everything except a monitor.

IM LOVING IT! Seems so much cleaner and nicer to look at/ Use. Still getting used to close and minimise being on the left instaed of right though:pp

Adium seems better than standard MSN. I dont like safari thouh, so i have got firefox running on it.

All in all, i prefer this system. Ill see how iget on with it for day-day use. And if i do, ill be buying an imac after xmas

Just ned to get another 512Mb ram. 512seems ok, but does stutter a bit at times.

How much is a Leopard Upgrade??

[MrFuji]

Apparently, my MacBook will be delivered today :D

...and it's great. Really.

[Mercellus]

How much is a Leopard Upgrade??

I believe the price for Mac OS X Leopard is the same as all Mac OS X releases have been, which is $129 (and is a full version). A lot easier to stomach compared to $250 for an upgrade version of Windows Vista or $400 for Windows Vista Ultimate.

[SMELTN]

REALLY wanting to get a Mac... Reading this thread is nice, I have a huge gaming PC and a decent HP laptop, but would REALLY love to have a Mac, the problem is, I don't use my laptop much, since I have a nice Gaming rig, and I can see myself if liking the Mac wanting to go all out Mac, and replace my desktop, especially since you guys say you can run windows just fine on a mac now..

hmm..

Shouuld I replace the desktop with a Mac desktop? Or replace just the laptop? I guess I could always just plug the laptop into my 22" monitor and desktop speakers etc, and just use it as a desktop when I want? That would probably be my best bet I think?

[Blaine]

^^ I agree with the laptop as a desktop replacement idea. I want to do the same actually. I never even use my laptop because I'd rather be using my desktop machine. I will hook it up to a large display as well. :)