Pros & Cons of migrating from Windows to Mac.

To all of you here who have already migrated from Windows platform to Mac, what has / have been the pros and cons of your migration; would you do it again, and what would you do differently if you had the chance to?

I ask this as I am seriously contemplating migrating to Mac and would love to hear what others have to say about their migration process.

Thanks, in advance, for any feedback.

 

Any reason u want to switch over to a mac? Usually pple that do such a thing already know the pros and cons of the OSX and have decided that the pros outweight the cons. If ur doing it purely because of the hardware (aka like the macbooks) then u dont have to run OSX on Apples, u can run windows.

 

Pros:

Just plug in and your set, none of that driver cd hassle.
automator
iLife package.
security
software integretion
connect to any network be it windows/linux/unix or Mac.
intuitive
better software layouts, less clutter.
its simple.
can run PPC native software
It just works
Over 2 months owning this, still never had to fight with it.
huge excellent free software base.

Cons:
Doesn't have as large as a software base as windows

I know your considering it, but take it from someone who has built computers and been using windows since '92, the move was the best I've ever made.

I will be honest on one thing, OS X was the first Mac OS that finally got it all right and what I wanted, anything before it I wasn't a big fan of. Apple was smart to rewrite their OS.

 

adinu,

The thought is in my mind, to switch over, but I haven't made up my mind just yet. There are many reasons why I want to shift over (or back for that matter) and I don't want my thoughts to start a gang-war between the two schools of thoughts.

One of the reasons is that I was, and always have been, a very strong admirer of Apple. I had the Apple II, IIe, IIc, III, and Lisa long before the Macintosh ever existed and long before Windows was conceived. They were outstanding machines. But, due to various factors I moved away from Apple back in the early 1990s and now am contemplating moving back out of loyalty.

Also, there are far fewer viruses for the Mac than there is for the Windows. I don't want to get everyone started on this, yes there are an abundant of viruses for Apple / Mac too, but these are far fewer than there is for the Windows.

Of course, let us not forget the cool-factor! I currently use a tablet PC and this is ultra cool, but I have found that tablets are not as useful for my day-to-day use as I thought I would expect it to be.

Then there is the who idea of getting something new and to learn a new platform.

When it comes down to applications that I use, there is hardly an application that I use under Windows that doesn't exist under the Mac O./ S..

So, in the end, I am seriously contemplating the migration, but there are three reservations that I am aware of; a) Mac is not well supported in my home country (and no I would not think of using a Mac with Windows); b) The price of a Mac in the configuration I am thinking of is higher than a similarly configured Windows machine; and c) if I was to migrate to Mac then I would have to get a whole new set of applications (but this is off-set by the fact that I already upgrade my applications every couple of years or so).

As you can see, I have been out of the Mac world for a while, and I am looking to upgrade my machine in a few month's time; hence, it is about time I do some research into this if I am to make a smooth transition.

 

xbandaidx,

Thank you for the feedback and the list. With regards to the Cons. – and please don't get me wrong – but is the lack of abundant applications really the only hindrance? And what applications did you use under Windows that you haven't been able to get for the Mac?

 

Well in general, I used applications that were open source mostly anyways when I was on the windows platform, and they all had OS X versions so really I didn't lose anything.

Plus the major ones already had a Mac version such as Photoshop, I found much of the OS X alternatives were far better than any third party on windows.

Sorry I can't give you a bigger con list, but thats it. I haven't found any cons yet. My mac just simply works right out of the box. I didn't need to setup a spyware cleaner, antivirus software or firewall and firefox (installed firefox anyways as backup to safari for site compatibilty like my banking). You can add that to the pro list as well.

 

I can't quite answer your question since I'm not a switcher..... I'm someone who has been using Macs since a Mac 512ke in 1986, and became a PC user around 1998. Ever since then I've basically used both PC's and Macs, so I'm not what you would describe as a "switcher". I also actually had been using NextStep since 1995, so that sort of "prepared" me for Mac OS X in a way I probably wouldn't have been going from the classic Mac to OS X directly.

From using both platforms though, I think the pros really would just have to be that I think OS X is generally a more pleasant environment to work in (this is sort of the "it just works" explanation). I don't have a ton of problems with XP (although I have had a few showstoppers that were a pretty big pain), but I also don't really enjoy working in it all that much.

I think the biggest pro for me would just be the way OS X itself works, and the way third party software on OS X works. I'm not sure what it is exactly, but there's something about the platform that just seems to sort of encourage really slick and creative third party apps.

So although I definitely acknowledge that it is a "con" that there isn't as much software for the Mac, I think the converse of that is that the software that does exist for it seems to often be of a very high calibre. There are certain Mac apps, like the TextMate text editor (or BBEdit and TextWrangler) and the Transmit FTP client, that I just really like everything about, and make me glad to use a Mac. The biggest new program I've discovered recently is a program called Quicksilver (I posted another thread about it).

Generally speaking, the sheer number of apps isn't all that relevant to me; I mean, if I find one good FTP client, one good text editor, etc. it doesn't matter to me too much whether there are 5 other alternatives or 500 alternatives.

Anyway, that's pretty much how I see things. I don't necessarily think OS X is the end all/be all platform, and I think XP is generally solid enough that it is fine to use too. But between the two, I try to spend as much time with OS X as a I can. Honestly the big thing that I really have a PC for was because I did want to learn how to build a PC, etc. and also to have an easier time playing computer games.

 

the con of having a smaller software base is that you won't have a solution for some problems while you'll likely find it in a windows app

 

Lots of Pros but seems like everyone has got em, my only cons are lack of gaming, the intel GMA 950 perfroms better on windows then Mac, and I thought I had XP SP2 but I don't, I have XP and can't upgrade ( you know what I mean ) for my Desktop. I wish I had XP because the GMA 950 takes 224 MB of on Windows which would be great for my games that I like but on Mac it takes like 64 MB, which is ok but I would have been happier if it was the same. Second, You can't watch Window Media Player for Online or other stuff like that, on websites I have to look for quicktime stuff, and can't find any good "clips" if you know what I mean, that are quicktime off some websites I like. Mac has been great, and I am really happy with it. I just wished I had waited and bought a MBP in maybe 5 months or so, I really love the deign. Best of luck.
~Arman

 

I just switched last month. I had planned to switch before my last computer purchase (which was an eMachines laptop in 10/04) because I was SO FED UP with Microsoft. However, I got sucked in by a pretty laptop and the lure of XP being more stable.

It was a little mentally overwhelming to just finally do it, but I certainly don't regret it. I have not had any problem finding software replacements for my windows programs - a lot of that was because of OSX native software though. I mostly found that everything was so much less of a hassle to set up. I spent hours installing and tweaking software in windows - with the Mac it doesn't appear that I need to do any tweaking once something is installed.

The only MAJOR differences I've found were the whole eject/drag to trash thing for media and virtual disks, the context menus are accessed differently (ctrl vs alt vs command key), and I had to learn the nuances of the Mac OS (windows minimize and maximize differently, the OS looks and feels different, the title bar at the top of the page is different, the dashboard is cool but different, and when you close a window it doesn't close the program.

Some of these are functions that you can adjust under the user preferences.

The only thing I haven't found out how to do yet that I'm looking for is set a forward/back web navigation hot spot on my touch pad. That would save me some pointer movement and was a feature I liked on my eMachines track pad.

The Mac was much easier to set up though. It intuitively knew how to get on my wireless network and how to use the printer. It just worked. I was prepared for an hour of messing around and I was up and running literally 5 minutes after getting the machine unpacked and turned on.

Can't really see any cons - the machine takes a little getting used to - it's much sleeker. It gets pretty hot when putting the video card through its paces, but I can still use it on my lap.

I love this machine. I wish I had switched a couple years ago, but I am in love with my macbook pro.

 

Arman, I will tell you right off the bat.

Flip4Mac WMV. Looks like you can watch all the Windows Media player stuff after all on your Mac now. Flip4Mac WMV can be found on Microsofts site.

 

If I dl that on my OS X it will let me watch my windows Media PLayer stuff? If so that would be awesome!

 

I have it and it works very nicely!

 

The pros are pretty obvious and have been mentioned. To be honest, you probably won't find a whole lot of people who have switched and regret it. Most people's only regret is that they did not do it sooner. Having said that, you need to make sure OS X is able to fill your needs. Find out how people do on their Macs what you are doing on their PC and see if it is at least as good and maybe better.

 

Mac os is like opening up a brand spanking new toy. Its all glammor and glitz at first and then its like blah. In my opinion of course. The fustrating part of mac os is installing/uninstalling. You have to find the software itself and delete it. It may sound easy, but it gets annoying when you have to delete everything that comes with the program.

Minimizing and maximizing can be a drag somtimes because when you minimize things such as a program or whatever you can easily forget its running.

When your browsethe web with multiple windows open, can be a pain because when you minimize it shows an image of that window instead of a description.

Then there is expose which for the first 5 minutes its like wow, but i never really used it.

WIDGETS, at first youll download all of the top 50 and then realize you only need 2-3.

LACK OF SOFTWARE: I used programs such as alzip/gom player/emule which were essential to my computer. I found alternatives but it was like putting together a shattered glass, just not the same.

Weak Gpu. I was playing a candystand shockwave game and i noticed a considerble amount of lag. double you tee ephhh.

If you really ask me, mac os is not better than windows, but simply different and require some getting used to. For people that are braindead towards computers and been using windows all their lives, the transition is not easy.

 

Open Applications folder, hit the first letter of the application on your keyboard, it selects it, drag it to trash. your done uninstalling it. If you wanna get real indepth just use AppZapper. Installing is even easier, the .dmg you download automatically opens up, just drag and drop to Applications, your done.

Its a habit you eventually wean yourself from, especially now days where resolutions are getting so high, it makes no sense to have applications using the entire real estate.

Theres a thing called Tabs, enable it in Safari, it comes turned off in default.

Thats fine, but its really useful for all the open windows, in fact it was designed for this very reason. You can change the keyboard shortcuts as well as assign expose to your external mouse.

sorry to hear it. Did you try aMule? It's basically a emule look-a-like.

How could it be a weak GPU, its one of the best current dedicated GPUs right now for notebooks. Plus lag can come from anything not just GPU.

I disagree with the braindead comment, I frequency visit an apple retailer, the most common age group there is senior citizens, this group would probably have the hardest time out of them all with computers. they have said its easier than windows, and they really like how they don't have to bother with installing drivers for camaras and whatnot as they don't have a clue. another example my dad, who has never used or seen a Mac OS before, actually found where firefox was on my computer and the firefox icon wasn't in the dock, and hes not the most computer literate guy out there, it just shows you how intuitive OS X is, and he just saw something that said 'Applications' on the dock, clicked it and scrolled until he found it. He did all this without a peep out of my mouth, in matter of fact he did it when I was gone from home.

Anyways, I'm sorry you had such a bad experience with your MBPs you have recieved.

Anyways to the original poster, you'll find throughout the Apple portion of this forum 98% of the actual owners all reported that they were very happy with the purchase, take a look for yourself.

Last but not least, this post wasn't meant to be picky or tedious or anything bad to the poster of the quotes, but merely for prospective buyers who might have lingering thoughts in their heads about how OS X works.

 

Thank you, all, for the replies; this has been very informative.

A question that comes to mind now, do files (not applications) that were created under a Windows O. / S. open under Mac O. / S.? Say, if I was using Excel in Windows and have now migrated to Mac; can I open the Excel file that I had created while using Windows so that I can view and modify it under Mac? If not, are there any converters to allow for this?

 

ArmanSLR,

What is MBP?

 

If you have files that are software specific such as you would most likely need the software for the Mac OS. For example Microsoft Office if you save something you can open that on Mac OS as long as you have MS office for Mac (currently MS office for Mac is not Universal, but it will still run) MS office 2007 is reported to be universal, I believe sometimes later this year its coming out?

Much of the major applications out there also have Mac versions, anyways other normal files such as zip or image files will open fine.

Last there are many awesome free alternatives out there alongside with Apples own version of PC software.

MBP = Macbook Pro
MB = Macbook

 

Sure, for someone who never used windows before it is intuitive and fairly easy, but all im saying is, it is difficult to change what you have been doing for a long time especially if you are not good with computers.

Lets say for example (bear with me) you were taught a certain golf swing when you were a starting off. After many years later someone tells you to change your swing. It might be a more efficient way of hitting, but its extremely hard to relearn the new swing and throw away your old habits.

Its kinda like that switching to mac os with braindead people. Its easier for people to start off with mac os, but it can be difficult to switch.

i dont know this whole post sounds kinda off topic now that i typed that, but i did so ill post.

 

Nah, I understand where you are coming from and I feel its valid point. Some habits are just hard to break and for some people its easier and for others its harder.

I don't think its off-topic really as its clearly talking about pros and cons.

 

You have three options for this from what I can see:

1) Microsoft Office for Mac
2) Run a Virtual PC Environment on the Mac that can run Windows Software (Bootcamp, Parallels, etc.)
3) Run an office software alternative for Mac that is Microsoft Office compatible (a great free one that I'm using is called Neo Office)

Out of these options, 1 is the most expensive, 2 requires you to have a bit more technical expertise AND posession of the windows software you require, and 3 is the least expensive and for me, was the simplest. I haven't had any issues with programs not opening. I haven't played around with anything beyond Word and Excel files yet.

There are also other Mac programs that can open/edit/save files originally created by Microsoft Office - that cost money. They cost LESS than Office for Windows, but they still cost.

You'll have to do a little research and choose the option which fits your needs. For me it was Neo Office.

 

Well, thank you all for your replies and clarifications. If I am not much of a bother, besides the "apparent" specifications differences between the MacBook and MacBook Pro; are there anything hidden that would favour one over the other? (for example, certain limitations of one, or the other)?

Thanks folks.

 

I don't own either, but the biggest differences are graphics card, screen size, and physical size. Although there is a lot of debate about heat and other problems that occur, these are really the main issues. Oh yeah, and the price of the MBP is much higher than the MB. I too am thinking about the switch (Last Mac was a Performa 630CD with OS 7.6.1) and the MBP seems like too much money unless you know exactly what you need the graphics card for. I am personally leaning toward the MB mainly because of the physical size and price, but the graphics card does weigh on my mind as well.

 

I wanted the bigger screen and more resolution, larger hard drive (standard), Super drive (DVD burner - standard), matte screen, ATI video card and higher video ram, the ability to support a larger external display (TV for movies, etc) as well higher res dual display monitor, the express card slot, and the lighted kb.


Basically all the differences that are obvious from the spec sheets.

It was less costly to upgrade my selection to the 15" mac book pro than it was to add the options I wanted to the 13" mac book, AND the video card/ram combo was what I wanted. Plus the lit kb just looks WICKED.

Hope that helps.

 

GeorgineVJ makes an excellent point, where most people would just look at hardware specs you aren't going to see a dramatic difference in what each has, although the MBP has faster hardware, its a marginal speed difference.

However, the point I want to point out that Georgine made that was excellent was the fact that even if the hardware difference is little, but what the MBP can do is huge compared to the MB, in terms of external things it can do.

Really it comes down to if the MB fits all your needs or not, if it does than it wouldn't make sense to pay for something extra, but if you think and you are sure you are going to use those extra features such as a LCD screen bigger than 23", the MBP is gonna come handy, as MB only supports up to 23" LCD screens where 1920x1200 is standard for that size. Remember LCD TVs and LCDs are DIFFERENT! if you get a 32" LCD TV, its actually gonna have a lower resolution than a 30" LCD screen. I believe LCD TVs are in the resolution of 1328xsomething, and that is perfectly within the MB's limits.

I think a great middle ground is the higher end MB (white, or black if you want it that much).

One last thing I want to point out is what EVERYONE appears to skim over when looking at a notebook, size of the notebook overall. I always hear people go "Yeah my notebook is awesome with all this hardware I got" than after a month or so I start hearing "Yeah my notebook is awesome, but its a pain in the butt to carry around!". The idea I'm pushing, get a notebook that is thin, thin makes a BIGGER difference than screen size.

Just my 2 cents.

Oh and before I forget, I always do this to everything I buy that is like a big purchase and thats this....

Need or Want. Think about it, is it something you NEED or is it something you WANT. There is a difference.

Looks like Finance class paid off.

 

I went MBP because of the deciated GPU as well as the larger display.

Regarding the OSes, the big issue to me was and is application compatibility. While there are SOME Mac versions of the things I use, in other areas I am up the creek (unless I run Parallels). These are:

1) Desktop RDBMS software (none of the Mac/Linux alternatives are even in the same universe as Access)

2) GPS road navigation

Also, I got Office.mac after trying the open source packages and discovering that, contrary to the word of mouth, they do not play well with the Office file formats. They do open them, but the fidelity is appalling (and as I am constantly trading files with Office users I cannot have their formatting being blown up when I open the file).

For these reasons I am rooting heavily for Codeweavers to finish Crossover for the Mac, as it appears to be vastly superior to Darwine (for one thing, they appear to have ditched x11 in favor of Apple's native technology).

 

Ask yourself this is the better gpu/screen/build worth $600-$700 more?

 

Why not just use Parallels? I guess the one downside is that it requires a Windows license, but from what I hear the performance is outstanding. I am going to install the trial later today, but why use Codeweaver over Parallels?

 

Cashmonee,

Didnt you say you already tried that or was it bootcamp you tried?

Codeweavers doesn't require any virtualization, its all native, personally I rather use codeweaver over parallels not to mention I'd have to buy a license just for one or two programs isn't my idea of money well spent.

 

I am using Parallels, and it is indeed vastly superior to any other VM out there.
however, you still do have to maintain two separate OS worlds, allocate RAM and HDD, etc. I'd rather be able to do everything in the same environment.

 

I'm wondering why you people actually switched from windows to osx or vice versa? I'm planning to use both of them, but I sometimes think why not getting a windows-laptop for convenience

my reason to use osx is the ease of graphic design programs on a mac

 

Pina go through 14 years using Windows, and you'll understand better. When windows started out they were promising, but along the way they lost their footing. If you do end up getting whatever it was you were going to get, you might start seeing what everyone else is talking about here.

Trust me there is a huge difference from having a Mac at home where you can do anything with it, vs using one that is VERY limited at work or school. I personally hated how bad the Macs were at my school when I was in HS, but later I found out why.

 

As far as switching, I didn't primarily switch for the sake of changing OS. Before Windows XP I was ready to switch to Mac. Then I found what I thought was going to be a really great computer (and had it not been a lemon, I might still have it), and to be honest, Windows did a much better job on XP than any previous version - and I've used them all extensively. However, I made up my mind before my previous purchase that this was the LAST time I would give a windows machine another chance, and that if it didn't work out well, I was switching no matter the reason, because it couldn't be as bad to switch as to put up with BS that I had put up with for years. I was so sick of unstable OS's, hardware and other component incompatibility, system crashes, constantly configuring settings for networking, software, and peripherals, etc. etc. etc. Plus, being the only one in my office who had taken the time to educate myself and gain experience to know how to do basic troubleshooting made me take on a sort of tech support role that I was sick of.

All that long drawn out story is why after 20 years of using computers, I switched to a Mac. I just thought that the basic principle of Apple having total control over their systems, components, software, and service, would give me much better odds of having a stable system, good software, and great service. It was all about the system for me, and I just decided that if I was switching systems, I would make a dedicated attempt to completely switch OS as well (trying to break myself of my dependence on Microsoft rather than integrate it into OSX). Why drag the problems of Windows and virus vulnerability over to my nice new Mac? Why chance Windows making my Mac unstable? Why mess around with allocating drive space and ram? Why maintain TWO filing systems, TWO backups, and try to remember which software goes with which OS so I can boot which OS I need?

It just sounded like a huge hassle to me, which was the very thing I was trying to eliminate by going Mac, so I just did that. I went Mac. All Mac.


And I'm so glad I did. I will ***NEVER*** go back. If I ever need to go back to that sort of platform for any reason whatsoever, I will run a unix derivative. But I never plan to go back. Once you go Mac, you never go back.

 

I'm pretty much in the same boat, I'm close to taking my A+ certification (Computer technician certification) and stuff, and yet I'm the one that everyone asks questions about be it my family or their friends or even my own friends. Sometimes I question myself if the job field I'm going into (Information Technology planning on IT Management) isn't going to drive me insane. I've given up windows long before I started using Mac, I used the Gentoo Linux operating system (which I still love, but I can't deal with configurations everyday and contend with college) so I went and got a Mac, and so far my college life has been going extremely smooth, I can actually get my assignments done without having to wage war with windows.

 

What kind of assignments did you have, i mean how hard is it to use microsoft office.

 

mangement software, such as iCal and SchoolHouse streamline a lot of my stuff for me already, things are that actually targeted towards students, not something that was made for the corporate world that companies try to pass off onto students. I wouldn't use Office for assignments, instead I'd use iWorks. Sure it might help students become more profienct in the Office software, but I'm profienct enough in it, plus keynote is much more powerful than powerpoint imo.

 

Xbandaidx,

You are absolutely right, if the MB does all that I want then why get a MBP. But, the question is, is there more than "I" can do with the MBP which I wasn't aware of since I don't know what it can really do that the MB can't?

Ok, let me clarify a bit. As a computer geek, a working professional (about to take a leave-of-absence from work to do some post-graduate studies) and have a few hobbies too. I find that my need for a computer is mainly for my work, then my studies, then my hobbies and finally my geeky needs. Currently I use a tablet PC due to its' light weight (weight is a major issue as I travel a lot and don't have the need for gaming machine). So, I buy a computer based on these factors and the MB surely fits my every need especially with its' small form factor (compared to the MBP); but, if the MBP allows me to venture more into my hobbies and geek needs then maybe it is something I should consider and put up with the slightly bigger size.

Also, there may be issues that you folks have figured out to do with your machines which didn't come to my mind in the first place. It is this that I am looking to "extract" out of the die-hard users on this forum.

Either way, thank you all for the replies and feedback – very informative stuff here.

 

Like most of the "converts" I am growing too tired with the need to "tweak" my Windows machine. At first, it was nice t to play with the registry etc., but the novelty wore off when it started to get in the way of my everyday work. Yes, everyday I run into issues with my Windows machine (and I assure you folks that I don't do half what I would love to do with my machine out of fear of it crashing). So many times I just don't get what I am expecting.

Every time a new version of Windows comes out I jump onto it thinking that this is "wow" so much better and more stable. But I just realized that what M$ is doing is adding a bit of stability to a very bad OS. I don't want to drag on this Windows bashing as I am a die-hard fan of M$, but Windows just doesn't really make it. And I realized only the past few days how the old Mac were ever so Plug-and-Play and so stable and a friend of mine walked in with his MB and I got flashbacks of the old days when things were so simple and EVERYTHING worked perfectly out of the box.

 

Now, my dilemma is …

Should I upgrade now, or wait until Core 2 Due is out along with applications and an OS that are designed (from the ground-up) to take advantage of it? My current tablet PC is coming to 2 years of age and I am looking to move to something new; but I could wait a few more months (six may be at the most).

If I am not mistaken, even the current applications and OS are not designed to take advantage of the Intel processor, or I am mistaken on this?

 

The current Apple applications and OS are designed to take advantage of the Intel cpu. There are however some applications (from third-party software developers such as Adobe and Microsoft) that aren't updated to do so yet.

As far as 64-bit goes, OS X is designed for it (the PPC G5 is a 64-bit cpu) but there are few applications that will take advantage of it fully yet - that's the same all across the industry however, and should not be considered a con for Macs in particular.

 

XP is OLDDDDDD. Everyone's comparing a very old OS to a brand new one. Wait for Vista before making your decision.

 

there is a single con in macs -
gaming.

in our day and age games are to be played on gaming platforms.
the OSX is extremely powerful and efficient. users who like to explore every single option and utilize every tool provided will find it extremely resourceful. OSX gives you absolute control over your system without any third party programs. the firewall is fireproof - any port probe online detects zero penetration success.

after almost 2 year of use when i sit down to use windows i feel i cant wait to get back on my OSX. its like having a car for couple of years and then having to ride a bike uphill.

if you are willing to give up gaming. know you will gain so much more.

the apple customer service is uncompromising, they have a zero dead pixel policy.
their warranty exchanges are shipped free second business day.
they include a prepaid same day scheduled pickup service.

consider a few basic points:
- microsoft has been working on vista for what 5-6 years. why ? because they have been trying to reinvent the wheel (the wheel being linux/unix).
more specifically they have been unsuccessfully trying to rid themselves of the cause to all their problems - registry.

- you can install windows and OSX on any laptop/desktop you are using so the decision is not that hard. back up your files format and install.

 

The problem is we HAVE been waiting for Vista. Three years! How much longer do you wait? Not to mention there is no reason to believe it has corrected any of XP's biggest issues. Oh and by the time Vista is out Leopard will be out.

 

That's like waiting for Duke Nukem: Forever . . .

The fun part being that Leopard may come out earlier than Windows Vista.

 

biggest issue being the registry, there are many reasons to believe they didn't.

 

Hi,

First, the registry is not the biggest issue with Windows, security is, and the security issue is being handled in a pretty draconian way in Vista with the changes to how user permissions operate.

Second, the registry issues are being handled more and more as time goes on. The programming methods promoted by MS (.NET) do not involve any registry calls at all, and Vista also is set up so that applications that want to install items to the registry actually install those items to a different registry than where the OS hives are located where the applications registry calls are redirected. It's part of how they are working to get applications to be able to run without elevated privileges.

 

Actually, I have made-up my mind and my next machine will surely be an Apple. I am not sure how good / bad Vista will be, but I have given Windows more than enough time to develop and every time I get the "next" version I end up kicking my self in the @rse. So, Vista or not, I am not going to get a Windows machine on my next upgrade.

My investigation now is to see which one of the Apple I should get! As I've mentioned before I have many needs for my laptop and it is the only machine I will use for day-to-day work (I do have a home server and my kids have their own machines, all will be eventually replaced by Apple when the time is due for them to be upgraded).

As one of my hobbies is photography I sometimes get pictures that are over 70MB in size so disc speed is an issue (not capacity), so too is graphics speed. Nothing is worse than having to wait for the screen to render a picture and then watch it redraw it self as I try to pan left / right. Is the MB processor good enough for image manipulation? I love the physical size of this specific model and wouldn't mind the screen size (I do have larger monitors back home to connect to).

 

Thats great you have decided.

Just remember like all PC notebooks, memory is a must having 1GB will insure things run smoothly, but 2GB is the sweet spot and is especially helpful in cases such as tons of photos. These notebooks all have Dual core so handling images and such is like cutting cake to them.

emilem, My question to you is are you sure its a zero dead pixel policy that Apple has? Can anyone else confirm this?

 

Compare Windows XP to Windows ME or 98. Was there a big, positive change? Yes? So why not believe the same will happen with Vista? Psssst... your fanboy blinders are showing.

Microsoft has many times the market share that Apple does. They don't feel the need to continuously release new operating systems. Vista will be the best Windows OS ever. Guaranteed.