Anyone using an Imac? If a windows pc-er wanted to switch over, how hard would the transition be? (i.e. word files, router software, file and data transfer from old hard drive to new mac) Thanks for your input.

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"Met my baby in a used car lot, drinking cheap wine and a throwin' rocks"-SCotS

Edited: 08/17/2007 at 07:41 AM by Musashi

I've used an iMac for a year now (the Intel model) and find it a completely satisfying experience. The transition was seamless. The learning curve is brief, the function of the system intuitive, and switching from a Windows-based PC no problem at all. If you take it easy at the beginning, you'll adapt quite quickly to the subtle differences between Windows and OS X. I have found the iMac to be as powerful as I need it to be, the graphics sharp and clear, the built-in sound adequate; overall, it is more stable than any computer I've owned previously. It comes with Bluetooth, 400 and 800 Firewire, and three USB ports (with two more on the keyboard). The built-in iSight camera is as good as any camera on the market.

One of the biggest draws (for me) was the sleekness of the system; compared to a typical PC setup, it's amazing (see graphic).

The suite of programs provided with the system --iLife, etc--- are integrated, and the logic of how the OS handles things is terrific. (Take a guided tour of iLife.) Anyone familiar with how computers work will adapt to it in short order.

The first thing I did was to install a copy of MS OFFICE FOR MAC, which functions exactly as it does on a PC. All previous WORD and EXCEL files transferred without problem.

I give it five (5) stars (out of five).

Edited: 08/16/2007 at 03:09 PM by tahoe

w00t bashing coming in 5...4....3...2....

LOL.

One thing to keep in mind, MS Office sucks right now on mac. It's like the last major app that hasn't been ported to Intel. MS keeps pushing it back.

I would try before you buy. Find an apple store (or a store that has Macs) and mess around with it a bit. Depending on your computing skills (or lack of) the transition can be tough. But, there's tons of apple fanboys out there that have made sites to help with the transition.

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Fix the problem, not the symptoms.

Edited: 08/16/2007 at 08:45 AM by w00t

W00t, I respectively disagree about OFFICE FOR THE MAC. Running under Rosetta, which compensates for programs not yet ported to the Mac, anyone that can say "Office runs too slowly" is just plain anal; that, or they're just looking for something to bitch about. If there's a slowness to WORD, for instance, I can't find it.

Using a Mac is a lot more than grinding out letters and spreadsheets, and in almost all other respects (than OFFICE FOR MAC), the system flies. If and when MS ports its suite to Intel (for Mac), I doubt there'll be anything approaching the hyper-drive speeds people only think OFFICE is capable of.

Owning a computer simply to use WORD, EXCEL and POWERPOINT should not be the deciding factor when choosing a new system. My own experience is that OFFICE FOR MAC works just fine on my iMac.

Edited: 08/16/2007 at 08:58 AM by tahoe

I use both pc and mac. I use mac at work for video editing and pc at home for the same. Both are pretty much on the same level as far as ease of use.

After using a G5 and what was a very beefed up for 2005 pc, I can say that neither has an advantag eover the othe ras far as not crashing or locking up. All of our G5s, both the earlier and now the ones with intel guts, crash or lock up as much as any pc would.

Having said that, I do think the instances of pcs and macs taking hits has more do do with sloppy coding in non operating system apps than it does with eithers operating systems. Apple though being the ones doing both os and video suites in thier name should have better QC than they have of late though.

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Making it too, without love in a dream it will never come true.

Yea, there really isn't too much heavy duty CPU intensive operations in word. I've not used it so my knowledge of this just comes from my old roommate bitching about it being slow and crashing. Apple did just come out with their new office-like suite "iWork" so that may be able to fill the need.

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Fix the problem, not the symptoms.

Yah from Mac people
Nah from PC people

Go play with one. If you like it, buy it. If you get one, you have to get used to saying "i" in front of everything.

iAloha

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Hawai'i ain't all that

iThanks.

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"Met my baby in a used car lot, drinking cheap wine and a throwin' rocks"-SCotS

iLOL

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Our position is tax cuts for the middle class. Theirs is tax cuts for millionaires.

Thanks for input guys. I got really frustrated this week when I got media software (because I want to do screen grabs of DVD's and make photo discs) and the f-------g software ran SOOO choppy I kept having to reboot. Does the photo and video software included on the imac allow for easy screen capture of video file (cell phone, dig camera and DVD?

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"Met my baby in a used car lot, drinking cheap wine and a throwin' rocks"-SCotS

Can't answer the question about screen capture, since it's not something I've ever attempted. Best suggestion is to visit an Apple store and ask a laundry list of questions BEFORE you buy. Check out Apple's store locator. I'm sure that, if the provided software doesn't do it, there's a program out there that does. Apple's always been about the music-, video-, DVD-, and movie-making thing.

Thanks Tahoe..one more question brother, itunes music transfer between pc to mac. Howzit done? I got a huge library and I shudder to think I might have to manual redo it all. Thanks

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"Met my baby in a used car lot, drinking cheap wine and a throwin' rocks"-SCotS

Here's an article on moving your music... ">http://dailydiy.com/2007/03/09...c-and-back/


I'm not sure what exactly you're trying to do but I see no reason why you wouldn't be able to take screen grabs using iMovie (or the software on your pc for that matter). How old is your PC? What software are you using? Have you tried windows movie maker? As a side note, Vista's included movie maker is pretty nice.

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Fix the problem, not the symptoms.

Edited: 08/16/2007 at 12:04 PM by w00t

Nah. If you've got Firewire on both computers (Mac and PC), just connect and let them "read" each other. Otherwise, burn your iTunes Music folder AND the iTunes Library onto disk(s), then paste them in. Another way, of course, is to pick up a small external drive (WD makes a nice 160GB for less than $120 at COSTCO); use it for the transfer. Keep in mind that the music files are MP3, so they'll play on either machine. Again, the wisest thing is to visit and Apple store and pick their brains; they'll be happy to show you what's required to be done.

Meanwhile, haunt some of the message boards.

Edited: 08/16/2007 at 12:03 PM by tahoe

Locally here in Melbourne the best place to go is "Visual Dynamics", they are pure Mac, beach side on the north side of the Eau Gallie causway between South patrick and A1A.

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Dora Hates You

Visual Dynamics, Inc. Contact Info
694 E. Eau Gallie Blvd
Indian Harbour Beach, FL 32937

visdyn@mac.com
321-773-7788 voice

321-773-9604 fax

Store Hours are:

Monday - Friday 9am - 6pm Saturday 10am - 4pm

Tahoe/dingpatch: Thanks for the info. I took a ride over there today and plunked my money down. Real sweet machine: 2.4 ghz. 20". Woot: all I was trying to do was edit some video and the software I had was running so choppy I had to reboot numerous times. I have other issues with the pc also. I just felt like now was the time for change.

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"Met my baby in a used car lot, drinking cheap wine and a throwin' rocks"-SCotS

Edited: 08/16/2007 at 05:13 PM by Musashi

Good luck with the iMac (sincerely). I believe you'll find it an all-around great computing experience, different but in a unique and pleasing way. As I said, check out the many Mac forums, starting with the Discussions at MacWorld, as well as those at the Apple site itself. Just take things one step at a time.

Put it this way:  everything that Mac did was followed by Microsoft, including windows, mouse, and Ipod.


Microsoft is the leader in business, not in development.  Not even close.


There are only two kinds of computer users:  Those who love Apples, and those who haven't tried one.

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In the battle against Takeuparms.

I won!