I'm salvaging my conscience by asking for your views in connection with something vaguely work connected.
I'm thinking of abandoning my PC and go over to The Other Side.
What's your epxerience with Apples (thinking of new iMac). I need to be able to exchange Excel and Word files easily with PC users. And seduced by the possibility of downloading and playing all my favourite tracks easily!
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In my work we had a mixture of PC's for the writers and Mac's for us design folk and they were all networked together. When working from home, there was no problem at all with exchanging files.
iTunes is great too - if you have an iPod, they're fantastic as you can link it to your car stereo, your stereo system and even use it as a back-up for your hard-drive - everything updates automatically when you plug it in to charge.
OK, commercial break over...
My parents used to have a Mac, but have just switched over to a PC, because they could never read email attachments and the like. Hmmm, not very encouraging for someone who wants to switch the other way.
If it's because you're fed up with Microsoft, why not try running a PC on Linux? Apparently, it's far superior, but you really have to know what you're doing.
Best of luck,
Hild
When you say the new operating system do you mean OS 10 or whatever it's called?
What sort of design do you do Running Muppet?
Compatibility: I know it's possible since I've exchanged files with Mac users before, but I guess if some PC users use older platforms it could be a problem, usually they can be resaved in a different format though.
The virus issue is one big reason I'm thinking of changing (I'd need to upgrade anyway) - this year I've lost a week sorting out virus problems, it was a nightmare to sort out, messing about in DOS etc. I realise there's a whole plethora of antivirus software, procedures etc but frankly I'd rather not have to bother with all that techie stuff.
Plus I believe I could plug my digital piano into the Mac and record straight into it (better get a degree in digital technology first!)
Hildegard - I don't know what I'm doing and haven't the patience to work it out; it's got to be intuitive. It's interesting you and your folks have gone back to Pcs though.
But it seems that you're into a lot of musical applications, and from previous experience, it is definitely the Macs that handle this stuff best.
I think the best (but perhaps not the most economical) solution would be to look around for a good price for a Mac so you can use all of your musical toys, but it keep the work side of life with a PC.
Funnily I used to do magazine design (Company mag, B, Zest, Cosmo and the like). I have done web design and some illustration and advertising stuff too though and still do the odd bit of magazine stuff here and there but now mostly look after my wee mini Running Muppet.
Personally I think Apple are the Betamax side of the VHS/Betamax arguement but the best doesn't always win.
Keep your money LauraL.
Sorry for the length of this this. St1t day and a bottle of wine for the worse.
Poor LauraL. This thread has probably made you more confused than ever. Maybe you could get some magazines like MacUser or MacFormat as they often have news from how Apple is doing financially and you could get the lie of the land a bit.
Just to muddy the waters further, I have found that as a musician/lecturer in higher education, I have to use BOTH Apple (for music/composition applications), and a PC (for thesis, papers, etc.). If what Blue Knes says is correct (and I'm sure it is), then my life will soon be easier.
So maybe you should have one of everything!! If you haven't spent all your dosh in the girlsruntoo sale, that is!
Happy computing!
DC
Interesting you use it for music applications Dalya. Sadly as well as the fun creative applications I need it for my boring bread and butter words and numbers...
Since I posted this discovered I may have to fork out an extra £400 odd for the Mac Office package so that might clinch it unless I can root out a free copy via a friend. Either way I've got to upgrade and that's seriously eating into my running kit budget!
I too was seduced by the IMac's stunning looks. We needed a new computer in the office as I've just come back to work full time and we did a bit of research into the PC/Apple debate. We came out eventually deciding to stick with PC's.
It depends how much stuff you have to send and recieve from other people. All our clients use PC's and with the best will in the world there are glitches transfering info from Apples to PC. Not all the time and only at the edges. But I seem to recall you're an independent consultant (marketing, management or something?) and my experience is that if there's an IT glitch , even if it's not the small consultant's fault, everyone just assumes it is. And we could'nt take the risk of maybe 1 in 10 presentations going a bit odd in transfer.
We got a Mesh, but I did get a very sexy flat screen so I'm slightly soothed.
Would have liked an IMac though...
Hope full time work isn't interfering with your running schedule too much...
Thanks for all your views about this.