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

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"

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

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

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!

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

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.

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 )

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

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

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

neil_r wrote in post #2146439
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.

neil_r wrote in post #2153887
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!

neil_r wrote in post #2153887
I am now on "the dark side"

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

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

lostdoggy wrote in post #2147942
BTW does the MAC support the Core Duo 2 Quad???

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

Mark

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.