PC vs. Mac
 

Okay, I'm at a point that I need to make a decision about a new computer. My desktop computer is at least 12 years old and runs sooooo sloooow. My saving grace was my 7 year old laptop but it has now died; won't wake up at all.

I've always had a PC but have heard so many good things about Mac. I've only experience Microsoft and I do use the programs such as Excel, Publisher and Word quite a bit. I have 2 software programs that only work on Microsoft so I would have to purchase those again, one of which would be $1500.00--not liking that at all!

I'm not sure which way to go since now Windows 8 is out and is pretty much a different kinda program from XP anyhow. Does anyone have any exprerience with Windows 8? Which system do you think is a better one?

Thanks for your opinions.

Well everyone has their opinion. I am a Mac user. I like them better. My DBF is a PC user. he would not use anything else. It all depends what you are using it for. You can also partition the Mac to be 1/2 Mac and 1/2 Pc. With that just know that you can get viruses on the pc side.

Thanks for the info. My sis is a Mac user and said the same thing about viruses and the pc. And I have had them in my PC. I have the iPhone and iPad and love how I can sync them. Thinking down the road of getting a Mac is why I got the iPad. I'm just so confused. I plan on going to the Apple store before buying anything of course but was just wondering what most people thought.

I've always heard from Mac users that they would never use anything else.

I really hate PC's. I have promised myself I won't buy another Microsoft product. I used Apple in the past and loved it. I have gone android right now but there are things it can't do, like run java and some other programs that have crossed over to Apple. I recommend Apple over Microsoft any day.

Definitely go and play with the macs. They are different. I am an artist so for me macs are where it is at lol. My DBF is a chemist. He does not like using the Mac and swears by a pc. He even hates the vista program ( which was trying to compete with the Mac) it is really what you use. If you use pc and PC programs a lot and they do not run on a Mac, you might be better off with a great PC ( PC are cheaper) and get a great computer protector like Trend Micro. You do not want to spend the money on a Mac and not use the Mac side.

I second the recommendation to go to either a Best Buy or an Apple store and play with a Mac.

I am a Mac user, switched approximately 6 years ago and have not regretted my choice. I did take the One to One classes at my local Apple store and that helped me a great deal.

My sis is an artist also, so maybe that's why she likes Mac better?? She used have the table with the pen (not sure what it was called) and she was able to draw out her design.

I have XP and heard horror stories about Vista. I started thinking about changing over when they announced 8 since I would have to learn a new system anyhow. But I def will get some info before deciding on something. Thanks!

That's a plus for the Mac that Apple offers a lot of support. They even offered me classes for the iPad even tho I got it from Verizon. The only downside to it tho is that the store is Always crowded when I've gone in there.

Tough call! I can tell you that I'm a solid PC user. I tried to use the Mac OS and I just can't get on board with it. I'd rather use what I'm used to and evolve with it. Maybe ask yourself how you do with big changes / transitions esp when it comes to tech...and that may be your answer. We have a PC w/ Windows 7, my laptop is Windows 7, and I was just gifted a Nexus 7. I'm all about the non-Mac path :p.

Personally, I think there are just so many more programs for the PC and many are free. Yes, in the past, hackers left the Mac alone, but this is changing and your mac can get viruses, they have a Norton for Mac now. I personally love the PC, to me, it's fairly logical in where it stores things, and I like being able to put stuff wherever I want it. Sometimes I think it's one of the left brain or right brain choices, are you more creative, (but slightly dingy) get a Mac, are you more logical, get a PC. Oh wait, maybe I should have a Mac?

I use both for work. Each have their positives and negatives. Did that help? :D I trust the security on the Mac far more.

I prefer the MS Office programs and I have them on my iMac and Macbook.
MS Office for Mac.

I have Windows 7, so not familiar with the big changes in 8.

Got my first Mac in 1984 and have owned them since then. Used PCs at work so have experience with both. There is nothing that a PC does that I cannot do on the Mac.

If your comfort level is PC you might want to stay there - I have always preferred the Mac and the support is great.

I just made the jump to Mac, and I love it! There are still a lot of programs I use that are Windows based, but I can use them on my Mac after installing Parallels and the the Windows OS. As it comes time to upgrade those programs, I'll start switching them over to the Mac versions.

There is a learning curve with Mac, especially if you are a died in the wool PC person that I used to be.

I like Linux so much more than either Windows or Mac. The bash shell makes things so much easier to automate and quality software is almost always free on Linux, with no nag screens. Plus it's often a lot lighter on memory. I built my computer from straight budget parts back in 2006 and it's still plenty fast under Linux. Can't imagine what it would be like under garbage like Vista though. The only bad thing about Linux is it has a somewhat steep learning curve.

I think it depends what you are used to and how good you are with change. The first computer I used was an Apple. Now, you have to remember this was tens of years ago, I worked in advertising and macs were the way to go for graphics. They had a very slow rise to popularity, so much so that it was like our first video recorders ie: Betamax vs VHS? Betamax died a death.
For about the last 15 years i have been logged in to a PC or Laptop almost constantly and my huby bought me an iPad. I had never, ever been an Apple product fan (over-rated and over-priced to my mind) and had I known he was going to get me a tablet, I would have probably veered towards an android system.
Now I have an iPad2 and an iPhone 5 and I can't wait to get my hands on an iPad retina or mini. My hubby who is a complete technophobe (found it hard to use even the simplistic of functions on a smart phone) now has an iPhone 5 too. He (who found even basic texting an endurance) loves the iPhone, he says it is the easieapst phone he has ever used.
I too,have been well impressed, Apples technology is, I believe, second to none.
I still have petty annoyances, like it seems they want you to pay for loads of stuff I don't want to pay for, but equally they give me lots of stuff for free if I am communicating with other users.
I am not an easy convert, but have to say, I think, Apple always "think" about the user.
On the other hand I was previously completely happy with a PC, Laptop, or android smartphone. (I still like Samsung, HTC and LG.)