Just got my first Mac

[morganpugh84]

So I just got my first Mac. It is a 15.4" MacBook Pro. 3.06Ghz CPU, 4GB RAM and 500GB 7200RPM HDD.

Build wise the machine is lovely but for some reason I have not fallen in love with it like I was kind of hoping I would :(

I don't know if it is just that I prefer how Windows does some things or not but it just feels more slugish than Windows 7 does and not quite as intuitive or smooth to use. Now I don't think Windows 7 is perfect either, in fact I hate how it combines the taskbar items so I have it set to the old Vista way of doing things.

Part of me just feels a little home sick in OS X land. I miss some of the things I love about Windows. Like I can't find an mp3 tag editor anywhere near as good as mp3tag, not even a non-free one. And something as simple as unzipping 100 zip files into one directory rather than 100 directories of the same name as the archive is a mission. Not as simple as just using WinRAR to select the file I want, hell I can't even fine a tool that will let me browse a zip or rar file, only extract it.

Some things are great but on the whole I really don't know if I am going to be able to keep it, I want to love it. I just don't feel I can. Windows 7 does everything OS X can do and, and I don't want to start a war here so please don't start one, it does it better in a lot of ways. Sure OS X has a solid base but I have had about a dozen lock ups on OS X due to crappy PrefPane's such as MediaLink and Perian which has halted the whole machine for a few minute while I force quit it.

I am feel kinda deflated now to be honest, I really was hoping I would fall head over heals in love with the platform like I did with my iPhone but i'm not :'(

[KeeperOfThePizza]

I'm not gonna say much except if you're not absolutely happy with it return it and use the money towards a nice windows 7 laptop.

[markwolfe Veteran]

Did you not play with an Apple in the store before purchasing?

You have spent years working in Windows, fitting into the "Windows Way". You might want to play around with OSX a week or so and see if things grow on you.

And...

If not...

You can always install Windows on it.

[KeeperOfThePizza]

Did you not play with an Apple in the store before purchasing?

You have spent years working in Windows, fitting into the "Windows Way". You might want to play around with OSX a week or so and see if things grow on you.

And...

If not...

You can always install Windows on it.

Why waste the money if he's just gonna install windows 7 on it? he could buy a windows 7 laptop and save quite a enormous amount of money.

[User6060]

:o

I would take it back and get 1 windows 7 computer and 1 vacation for the price you paid.

[morganpugh84]

Yeah I spent ages playing with them in John Lewis and I love many, many things about it but actually owning one is very different to test driving one in store. I have installed Windows on it but that feels kind of stupid as I already have a great spec laptop running Windows 7 so the MBP would be returned. I have 14 days to think it over but I am thinking it will be going back as it just doesn't seem to tick all the boxes sadly. Windows, while not perfect, works how I want it to whereas OS X doesn't do some of the most basic things I want like the zip feature :(

[markwolfe Veteran]

Why waste the money if he's just gonna install windows 7 on it? he could buy a windows 7 laptop and save quite a enormous amount of money.

Ummm.... Maybe because I read in his post that he loved the build of the hardware?

...

Build wise the machine is lovely but for some reason I have not fallen in love with it like I was kind of hoping I would :(

...

Sorry if my post that he might keep the hardware he "loved" the build quality on somehow irritated you and question my suggestion.

[KeeperOfThePizza]

Ummm.... Maybe because I read in his post that he loved the build of the hardware?

Sorry if my post that he might keep the hardware he "loved" the build quality on somehow irritated you and question my suggestion.

Yeah, I read that.. But He'd have to go buy a copy therefore he's pumping out even more money.. Which is why I say he's better off returning it and getting a nice laptop with windows 7 on it.

[markwolfe Veteran]

It doesn't matter much to me what he does with it, and it really is up to his preferences and what he likes and dislikes about the hardware and software.

If he wants to use the MacBook to prop up an uneven leg on a table, I'm good with that, too! :p

[Guest]

I have Windows 7 installed on my macbook pro. I never quite got used to mac osx... i installed it a few times but always ended up going back to windows.

Love the machine though - have the best of both worlds.

[KeeperOfThePizza]

It doesn't matter much to me what he does with it, and it really is up to his preferences and what he likes and dislikes about the hardware and software.

If he wants to use the MacBook to prop up an uneven leg on a table, I'm good with that, too! :p

loling, and by the way no you're post did not irritate me and i was not trying to be an arse by any means.

[Richard Hammond]

Yeah unfortunately i felt the same way after buying a Mac, the novelty wears off rather quickly after youve had a poke around and installed all your apps.

[Elliott]

To each his own. I'm sorry you're not liking OS X. It really is a personal preference. I love it and find Windows too restrictive (to me, the general quality of apps on Windows is worse than on OS X), but others will feel the exact opposite. Both Windows 7 and Snow Leopard are great OSs in the end.

[Richard Hammond]

I find it the complete opposite, i dont see how Windows is "restrictive" you can do a lot more in Windows than you can in OSX...

[Elliott]

I find it the complete opposite, i dont see how Windows is "restrictive" you can do a lot more in Windows than you can in OSX...

Like I said: personal preference. I'm so used to the Unix world now (I work with *nix servers daily) that Windows is almost a non-option for me at this point. My web development work is much easier on OS X (for me). I tried doing it on Windows and almost pulled all my hair out just trying to set it up. :p I also like keeping consistency between my development environment and my production environment.

[winrez]

Like I said: personal preference. I'm so used to the Unix world now (I work with *nix servers daily) that Windows is almost a non-option for me at this point. My web development work is much easier on OS X (for me). I tried doing it on Windows and almost pulled all my hair out just trying to set it up. :p I also like keeping consistency between my development environment and my production environment.

Just curious have you ever played around with the Subsystem for UNIX Based Applications on Windows?

(Ive only tried it once myself ran a app on Vista just playing around with it)

[XionUK]

You do know that in terms of your browzing zip files, you can get a Quick Look plugin that will let you do it... I'll see if I can find it. yup, here it is... http://macitbetter.com/BetterZipQL-1.0

[Remote Sojourner]

Everyone has their own preference. I triple boot my macbook pro to OSX, Linux and Windows... i used to use windows a lot but gradually i moved to osx.. simply because its quite good at what it does.

[SojIrOu]

Well I returned my 15" macbook pro just two days after I got it. The drivers for Windows are just no good. The touchpad, speakers, mic, keyboard backlight all don't work properly under Windows and you can't switch between the 9400m and 9600m. Also, if you don't need a laptop right now, I'd suggest waiting for the new macbook pros coming out early next year.

[Solid Knight]

Hey, at least when somebody asks you "Why don't you use a Mac" you can honestly say you gave it a try.

[Elliott]

Hey, at least when somebody asks you "Why don't you use a Mac" you can honestly say you gave it a try.

Exactly. Certain things aren't for everybody.

[truba11a]

I think osx is better for me, I was on osx86 for months, and recently started using 7 and I was really disappointed so on monday im gonna get 17" mbp.

[Scorbing]

So I just got my first Mac. It is a 15.4" MacBook Pro. 3.06Ghz CPU, 4GB RAM and 500GB 7200RPM HDD.

Build wise the machine is lovely but for some reason I have not fallen in love with it like I was kind of hoping I would :(

I don't know if it is just that I prefer how Windows does some things or not but it just feels more slugish than Windows 7 does and not quite as intuitive or smooth to use. Now I don't think Windows 7 is perfect either, in fact I hate how it combines the taskbar items so I have it set to the old Vista way of doing things.

Part of me just feels a little home sick in OS X land. I miss some of the things I love about Windows. Like I can't find an mp3 tag editor anywhere near as good as mp3tag, not even a non-free one. And something as simple as unzipping 100 zip files into one directory rather than 100 directories of the same name as the archive is a mission. Not as simple as just using WinRAR to select the file I want, hell I can't even fine a tool that will let me browse a zip or rar file, only extract it.

Some things are great but on the whole I really don't know if I am going to be able to keep it, I want to love it. I just don't feel I can. Windows 7 does everything OS X can do and, and I don't want to start a war here so please don't start one, it does it better in a lot of ways. Sure OS X has a solid base but I have had about a dozen lock ups on OS X due to crappy PrefPane's such as MediaLink and Perian which has halted the whole machine for a few minute while I force quit it.

I am feel kinda deflated now to be honest, I really was hoping I would fall head over heals in love with the platform like I did with my iPhone but i'm not :'(

I recently bought an iMac and I haven't had a single issue with it. It is not as idiot-proof as Windows (no offense to you or anyone) but is is not hard to learn either.

Both Windows and Mac have their pros and cons. Mac I think is more stable than Windows since there is no registry or DLLs to worry about. If you install an application on a Mac, to get rid of it all you have to do is drag it to the trash can and its gone. On Windows you have to uninstall it and if the uninstaller fails you are screwed with files all over the place.

Windows UI is more customizable than Macs. You can completely turn off the fancy animation effects on Windows. On a Mac you can't - (I haven't found a way to do it yet. If anyone knows how, please post it)

Windows is more user-friendly and easier to use than OSX. I have both a PC and a Mac and I use both, but I use the PC more ;)

[Scorbing]

wow.

I was thinking about buyin a mac lately as well, but really worried if i'll like it.

Not many mac stores around where i live, so i cant test it, but i guess i can always order it online, and send it back if its no good.

But i wonder if i'll come to the same conclusion i did with Ubuntu. Fun to set up, and see something new, but after a while it's not very good for general use. But then again. OSX has photoshop and other actual quality programs, so it should be good. i dunno

but im gonna have to get one just to find out for myself.

I wish i knew someone in real life who owned a mac so i can tinker around with it, lol

thanks for your topic.

I have Photoshop on both Windows and OSX and the Mac version is way better than Windows.

[_bobcat_ Veteran]

You disliked, also, a difference between Vista and Windows 7, maybe you just don't like change? :p

Anyway, I'd say give it a week at least, and try out *everything* you *ever* do in Windows and to get more accustomed to some of the OS X quirks. You might discover things that tip the balance over enough that the problems you are having now are more than made up for. Or you may decide you really like doing certain things in OS X but will virtualise/bootcamp another OS for other things.

Personally I loved OS X from the off and still do .. the novelty certainly hasn't worn off here. That said, I didn't get used to it immediately and experienced a shallow learning curve...well, shallow compared to learning Linux. If you don't like the idea of having to "learn" the OS in any way or adapt to a different way of doing things, then give up now :p

Windows is more user-friendly and easier to use than OSX. I have both a PC and a Mac and I use both, but I use the PC more ;)

I actually find OS X far more intuitive, in general, I think it's just personal preference. I do prefer Windows 7 and Linux for a few things though. But yeah everyone varies in what they like/find easy to use/previous experience.

wow.

I was thinking about buyin a mac lately as well, but really worried if i'll like it.

Not many mac stores around where i live, so i cant test it, but i guess i can always order it online, and send it back if its no good.

But i wonder if i'll come to the same conclusion i did with Ubuntu. Fun to set up, and see something new, but after a while it's not very good for general use. But then again. OSX has photoshop and other actual quality programs, so it should be good. i dunno

but im gonna have to get one just to find out for myself.

I wish i knew someone in real life who owned a mac so i can tinker around with it, lol

thanks for your topic.

OS X is generally easier to set up and get going than any Linux distro I have used. For example, the drivers are all installed out of the box.

When I was deciding whether to buy a Mac I found it useful to list all of the software I was using in Windows and check if there were decent options for it in OS X. To date OS X has always had a good option for the software I use most often. The only let downs are not being able to run games or Office 2007 on it .. but that was an excuse for another computer..