Heading over to the other side & need help (PC to MAC)

[neil_r]

My dual processor windows workstation is getting long in the toot and the time has come for me to change. I am really tempted to bite the bullet and move over to Apple. I really don’t want to kick off a PC verses Mac debate as there ar many of those all over the place, what I am looking for are some informed opinions and tips from Mac users and preferably from those who may have recently made the transition.

I have looked at the Mac Pro and were I to spec it the way I would like I could not afford a display so I will more than likely go for the 24” iMac with the 2.33GHz Processor 2GB of memory and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 256MB SDRAM graphics card. I know I will have to get additional external storage but the FireWire 800 port should make that fast enough and I would also like to extend the desktop to an additional flat panel monitor (which I already have which will hopefully be compatible)

I have been using Photoshop since Ver 4 and do not intend changing so I doubt that I will have any problems there but OS X will be completely new and any help will be greatly appreciated.

Is the above kit up to the job? Will I find the transition easy? What will I struggle with the most?

[Ronald S. Jr.]

Should it have an intel processor, you'll dread the performance of CS2. Otherwise, sounds like you're making a good choice.

[neil_r]

Should it have an intel processor, you'll dread the performance of CS2. Otherwise, sounds like you're making a good choice.

It is an Intel dual core processor. I understand that CS2 runs in their strange Rosetta mode. I guess that adobe will be bringing out a version of CS2 that will be able to use the speed of the mac pretty soon (I say guess but mean hope).

[JaGWiRE]

It is an Intel dual core processor. I understand that CS2 runs in their strange Rosetta mode. I guess that adobe will be bringing out a version of CS2 that will be able to use the speed of the mac pretty soon (I say guess but mean hope).

This was discussed in another thread about CS3 I believe, somebody said that they hvae no plans to do Intel Mac support for CS2. CS3 isn't that far away though.

[staciecd]

This is something I considered a while ago, but between the cost of the computer, then purchasing all new software was too much. Don't forget to keep that in mind.

stacie

[Permagrin]

I have looked at the Mac Pro and were I to spec it the way I would like I could not afford a display so I will more than likely go for the 24” iMac with the 2.33GHz Processor 2GB of memory and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 256MB SDRAM graphics card. I know I will have to get additional external storage but the FireWire 800 port should make that fast enough and I would also like to extend the desktop to an additional flat panel monitor (which I already have which will hopefully be compatible)

I have been using Photoshop since Ver 4 and do not intend changing so I doubt that I will have any problems there but OS X will be completely new and any help will be greatly appreciated.

Is the above kit up to the job? Will I find the transition easy? What will I struggle with the most?

Neil I'm a bit confused. Is the 2GB memory RAM? (or did you mean a 2GHz processor) What's the entire HD size? 2GB is wonderful for ram...definitely necc. for processing photos. We use 1GB ddr sdram and need it at minimum....256 won't cut it for graphics processing of any sort.

edit: and with Mac, the program Aperture $149 and PE4 $79 combination is absolutely perfect. (Right now, aperture is just at the top of it's game...)

edit2: the one thing that will really be different w/Mac is that when you want to delete something, you drag it to the trash. End of story. No uninstalling...no having fragmented files...so easy.

[condyk]

I was a Mac user for many years but then had hardly touched one for 5 years until a few weeks ago when I set one up for a client. All I can say is WOW! OS-X is spectacular. You won't regret it. Had I not built myself a new Dual Core PC last month I would definately go Apple. Spec looks spot on to me. You will need to spend time finding your way around the different interface of course, but I found it totally intuitive and didn't need to check help once. The iMac screen is superb too.

[Bosman]

Neil I'm a bit confused. Is the 2GB memory RAM? (or did you mean a 2GHz processor) What's the entire HD size? 2GB is wonderful for ram...definitely necc. for processing photos. We use 1GB ddr sdram and need it at minimum....256 won't cut it for graphics processing of any sort.

edit: and with Mac, the program Aperture $149 and PE4 $79 combination is absolutely perfect. (Right now, aperture is just at the top of it's game...)

edit2: the one thing that will really be different w/Mac is that when you want to delete something, you drag it to the trash. End of story. No uninstalling...no having fragmented files...so easy.

The iMac has a 250GB hard drive, I beleive he is saying 2GB of RAM, and a video card with 256MB of ram on the videocard, which is alot! Not sure what you mean by 256MB of video ram on the video card is not alot???

[condyk]

The iMac has a 250GB hard drive, I beleive he is saying 2GB of RAM, and a video card with 256MB of ram on the videocard, which is alot! Not sure what you mean by 256MB of video ram on the video card is not alot???

Agreed ... CS2 doesn't really use video card memory so Neil getting 2GB RAM is the correct route to take AFAIC.

[neil_r]

The full spec is:-

Screen 24"
Processor 2.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory 2GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM
Hard Drive 500GB Serial ATA
Graphics INVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT 256 MB SDRAM

My main concern is getting to know OS X I am so familiar with the DOS/Windows environment. Plus the mouse only has one button ???

[stupot]

you wont regret it. the mouse the iMacs ship with the mighty mouse (as far as i know) - ie you get your right click back, plus a couple of other buttons. its a joy to use:) OS X is fantastic, its very intuitive and easy to pick up, its built to work with you, not against you and you will soon slip into its way of working.

also, you mentioned you already had a screen. could you not use that with a mac pro? or get a cheaper dell screen or something. i havent used a mac pro but all i can say is they look incredible! either way whichever one you use you will like it! we use imacs for design work at uni and they run great.


edit: take yourself down to an apple store and ask for some help round the OS, they are super helpful in there and will quickly get to grips with what your buying before you make any purchase.

[neil_r]

.also, you mentioned you already had a screen. could you not use that with a mac pro? or get a cheaper dell screen or something. i havent used a mac pro but all i can say is they look incredible! either way whichever one you use you will like it! we use imacs for design work at uni and they run great..

I have a relatively new 24" dell screen, but I do not think it will give me the same brightness, sharpness, and colour depth I have seen in either the iMac which I could just about afford or the Apple Cinema displays that I know I can't afford.

[Mark_Cohran]

I've been using Macs for years at home, and PC's at work. I just upgraded my desktop at home with the MacPro Tower. I'm running CS2 on it with no problems, as well as Microsoft Office for Mac. Going between the two is pretty easy. After a while, you'll find you prefer the Mac OS for its ease and elegance of use.

Mark

[Permagrin]

The iMac has a 250GB hard drive, I beleive he is saying 2GB of RAM, and a video card with 256MB of ram on the videocard, which is alot! Not sure what you mean by 256MB of video ram on the video card is not alot???

I thought it was his ram...which wouldn't be enough...a lot of computers come standard with 256 or 512...I was worried that was what he was buying...

Sounds like a good system and you won't have any trouble adjusting. Mac's a lot easier to use.

[Stavhp]

Well, after using my freinds mac and his constant bullying im making hte same move.
Hope its the right one ???

[blonde]

Neil, i was a pc user for 16 years or so and i was also scarred taking the step toward the dark side. let me tell you, you have nothing to worry about. it took me less than 2 days to get fully used to OSX and after using it for a year or so, i can't even stand to look at windows. also, the specs you got for the iMac are great but i do think that the 24" is a bit overkill if you are going to go with dual monitor setup. i would personally go with the 20" iMac and add another 20" Apple cinema display and you will have one amazing setup.

good luck my friend and welcome to the world of "it just works" :)

[lostdoggy]

You'll be back, when Gate and Company swallow the for BITTEN fruit.

[lostdoggy]

BTW does the MAC support the Core Duo 2 Quad???

[Bosman]

It is so great to here from so many Mac users. I switched little over four years ago, and absolutely love my Mac!!!

I do need a new one, still running Panther with a 800Mhz iMac Flat Panel.

You will never go back trust me!

[Permagrin]

It's funny, but my husband was a staunch windows person. I bought a mac laptop. For about two months, he said he didn't think my laptop was any better than his computer...then, one day, two months later, he bought the brand new G5 w/24in monitor....He said he never thought he'd switch, was at loathe to admit he was wrong about the mac's and now he's as devout as the rest of us :)

[ayotnoms]

Wow. I am surprised that there are so many Mac boosters.
There was a time, back in day, when one positive post about a Mac illicited 4 anti-Mac posts.

I've used a Mac since Photoshop 3 and it warms the cockles of my heart that so many Wintendo users are crossing over....and as we all know, there's nothing better than warm cockles. :) :)

[blonde]

Steve, i think it has something to do with the fact that Apple makes it very easy to switch. only a few years ago, you would have had some problems running windows files on your mac, you couldn't share documents etc.. now, the mac can do everything a PC can do and do most of it better. also, with the new Intel Macs, people can't use anymore excuses other than "pc is cheaper". would i buy a PC again? probably if i was a gamer i would. for me and what i need the computer for, the Mac is PERFECT (i just need to buy a new one that is Intel based ;) )

[BiikeMike]

I have recently made the "switch" but my case is a bit different.

I grew up with a lawyer dad (Windoze) and a teacher mom (Mac). I was raised on both, and since i'm a total computer nerd, I geeked out at a young age and learned everything about both systems. When it came time to make an informed decision about which I was going to buy for my own personal use, I chose PC. This was about 10 years ago. at that time, I think mac was on OS 7 or so, and it was TERRIBLE! I always made fun of my mom's Mac's etc.

Fast foreward 10 years, and here I am sitting in bed typing on my MacBook Pro. What happened? Mac OSX simply blows Windows out of the water, HANDS DOWN. There is no messy registry to mess with, the system is not based on and relient on one program (Internet Explorer) and the support and product is just a step above. Mac has always had the upper hand in graphics, and that was one of my influences to switch. I was put on a project where we had to do a LOT of video editing and run a show with a ton of video clips. It was all done on a Powerbook G4. I got my Powerbook shortly after that project. I traded that to my mom for the MBP for my graduation present. Everybody won.

I run a lot of intensive programs on my laptops. CS2, Lightroom, VectorWorks, and others. The issue of CS2 is a valid one, but not one to be worried about. Adobe has officially said they will not offer universal binary support until CS3, but I can tell you, CS2 works just fine under Rosetta. It will lag on some very specific things for a split second, but overall, you won't even know the difference. as for the license on the software, if you call Adobe, they can sell you an upgrade to Mac version for super duper cheap.

And finally, on your system choice, if you have the cash, GO WITH THE MAC PRO. You can use the monitor(s) you already have, and upgrade at a later date. The Mac Pro excells the iMac in almost everyway possible. The iMac is an amazing machine, but the Mac Pro is a real "pro" tool. It will run CS2 noticeably faster, its infinatly upgradeable as far as HD space, RAM (up to 16 GB of ram), video cards, etc, which the iMac is not. If you can swing it, I would definantly reccomened a Mac Pro. if not, You will be fine with the iMac, its just not as upgradeble in the future. for more information than you could ever possibly need on Macs, check out Mac Rumors (http://forums.macrumors.com/)

And just a quick aside on Aperture, I would go an play with it at an apple store if you can before you buy it. I tried it out, and found it to be very laggy, cumbersome, and just awkward. this type of software is TOTALLY personal, and the store I went to only had it on laptops, but before you buy, i'd check into Adobe Lightroom, and see what fits your needs better.

Hope I was helpful, and not too wordy

[neil_r]

I am now on "the dark side"

My first forum post from for the MacPro witha 22" Cinema Display.

Machine Name: Mac Pro
Machine Model: MacPro1,1
Processor Name: Dual-Core Intel Xeon
Processor Speed: 2.66 GHz
Number Of Processors: 2
Total Number Of Cores: 4
L2 Cache (per processor): 4 MB
Memory: 2 GB
Bus Speed: 1.33 GHz
Boot ROM Version: MP11.005C.B01
SMC Version: 1.7f8

Lets hope I can keep up with it..

Thank you all for your help...Neil

[PacAce]

The full spec is:-

Screen 24"
Processor 2.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory 2GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM
Hard Drive 500GB Serial ATA
Graphics INVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT 256 MB SDRAM

My main concern is getting to know OS X I am so familiar with the DOS/Windows environment. Plus the mouse only has one button ???

Give yourself a week with the Mac and you'll get very comfy with it. For the most parts, the transition should be pretty seemless as long as you get yourself a two button mouse. If not, you'll just have to remember to hold the CTRL key down when clicking the mouse button to emulate a right mouse button click.

One pitfall of the Mac, which I've mentioned previously here, that you should be aware of is to be very careful when doing folder copies. Don't do it unless your intent is to replace everything within the target directory (if one exists) with those in the source directory. Drag-n-drop and cut-n-paste of folders on the Mac do not work the same way the do on the PC.

About the only thing I really miss on the Mac is Visual Basic or an equivalent for cooking up some quick but useful programs and utilities. :confused:

[PacAce]

I am now on "the dark side"

My first forum post from for the MacPro witha 22" Cinema Display.

Machine Name: Mac Pro
Machine Model: MacPro1,1
Processor Name: Dual-Core Intel Xeon
Processor Speed: 2.66 GHz
Number Of Processors: 2
Total Number Of Cores: 4
L2 Cache (per processor): 4 MB
Memory: 2 GB
Bus Speed: 1.33 GHz
Boot ROM Version: MP11.005C.B01
SMC Version: 1.7f8

Lets hope I can keep up with it..

Thank you all for your help...Neil
Congrats, Neil! :)

[condyk]

I am now on "the dark side"


Lenses I don't care, but I would like a play with that kind of new 'precious' :D Nice purchase.

[BiikeMike]

Congrats......... and welcome!

[Mark_Cohran]

BTW does the MAC support the Core Duo 2 Quad???

I believe so. My MacPro Tower has the Core 2 Duo's.

Mark

[neil_r]

A quick update for anyone that is interested, The migration is complete. There is only one application that I still use a PC for and that is my Dive Log Programme.

The transition has been painless if not expensive. Happy to report that everything is stable, have had zero cashes and hangs and I am more than happy with the move.

To anyone else considering making the move I heartily recommend it.

[Permagrin]

A quick update for anyone that is interested, The migration is complete. There is only one application that I still use a PC for and that is my Dive Log Programme.

The transition has been painless if not expensive. Happy to report that everything is stable, have had zero cashes and hangs and I am more than happy with the move.

To anyone else considering making the move I heartily recommend it.

Congrats Neil...glad it went smoothly! We've had zero crashes with ours...and we're working on almost 2 yrs now...we have 1 program too that we use our pc laptop for...otherwise everything else is w/the mac's. Have FUN!

[steved110]

Interesting thread - I have some friends who are Mac users and I'm getting seriously annoyed with the fragility of the Windows system - when i've finally had enough of my current PC I'll definitely be looking for something different.