A good way to switch?

I've been a Windows user all my life, and I plan to be for the rest of my life. But, I've always wanted to give OSX a fair try. Everyone I know uses Windows and frequently hates on Apple, but I feel like trying something new.

I have played around with Macs on display, but I cant really get a a good feel for the OS standing in a store for 10 minutes.

I was wondering if a good way to get a feel for the OS is to buy an older iBook/PowerBook G4?

I found one for sale locally, $550 CAD, which seem to high, seeing as I can get a MacBook white used for about that price. Basically, do you thinking spending a few hundred on an old Mac is a good way to adopt the OS? Thanks!

 

see if you can find an old i-mac cheap with OS-X on it ... I have seen them for under $100 quite regularly

 

Are you near a University? Most, if not all, will have Macs for students to use, plus they'll also have bundled software which will costs quite a bit to purchase on your own. I would recommend doing this for starters. Then take a look at the campus computer store for great discounts on Macs. You won't get a new one for $500, but Macs do tend to hold their value quite well, so I would say it may just be worth the investment.

 

It also depending upon what programs you are using and if they can run on a mac, if you do a lot of photo editing they might be better and if you use lots of itunes

Personally I do not care for macs because the OS seems a bit cartoonish and I have to use a PC for my programs I run.

The faq would be good to make better decision

 

try ebay-you can find previews gen mac mini for ~500.but I must warn you-if you buy it with negative set,I bet you won't like it.

 

That's a good point, i've never thought to look around campus for any Macs.

I was thinking about offering the seller like $300 or so for the PowerBook. Would you recommend doing this, or are the older models too obsolete?

 

That's about the price of a budget PC. But, yes, buy it and try it out. Worst thing that can happen is that you don't like it and would have to sell it. In which case, Macs sell easily and you also have the newfound knowledge of your opinion on the operating system.

 

Yeah, that's what I figured. I didn't have a laptop this year for school and it made working on campus more difficult. I was going to buy a netbook, but I can't stand the small keyboards. This way I can hit two bird with one stone.

 

You might want to try out an older Core Duo or a Core 2 Duo older white Macbook, as they aren't much more expensive as the Powerbooks. You'll get a better feel for the speed for OS X, and it will have a higher resale value in the case that you don't like it.

 

Yeah, I see your point. I found a couple of the older ones ranging from $600 - 800 used. The new white one with the 9400M is what I was originally looking to purchase. Seeing as it is only $999, which is quite reasonable.

I guess I could always buy new and return it within the return period if I was dissatisfied.

 

Yeah, take a look on Craigslist/eBay etc. and they have some pretty good prices if you haven't already looked. The new white one is a very nice computer if you want a new one, but don't want to pay for the Aluminum notebooks. You are although giving up the build quality, LED screen, and DDR3 RAM. It'll be a great machine for your needs. Keep in mind you have 14 days to try it out, and you could return it if it didn't fit your criteria of needs.

 

Well it looks like I found you a deal, if you're interested. http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=371908

It may work for you, but check it out!

 

That's a nice price!!! But will the op be willing to spend that much just to try os x?

 

I was suprised at the price of it too! Mabye the buyer and seller could do some negotiations, and possibly work something out!