Windows user experiences with iMac

Got an iMac about 9 months ago. I previously had a Powerbook 15 years or so ago but have had only Windows machines since (95, 98, XP, Vista, Win7). So as a primarily Windows user maybe this will help someone who is on the fence decide either way.

What I like:
- Nice integration of programs and nice application suite (iLife). Garage band is really cool and iMovie works really well (very intuitive for the most part even though I had never really used it before)
- Nice hardware (high quality, well built)
- Nice things like being able to easily check ink levels on my laser printer; haven't been able to do this easily on my Windows machines
- Simplified access to system type tasks -- in Windows you often have to drill down through many windows and boxes to get at the setting you want to change. Seems cleaner and quicker on Mac (although perhaps less in the way of user configurable settings than with Windows). Also, more consistent, clean, interface for these things vs. Windows "Control Panel" which is kind of a mess.

What I don't like
- Still the usual little problems - no mac-magic here...occasional freezes (system completely froze in iDVD the other day - had to hard restart which I've never had to do with my Win7 machine); machine wakes up by itself (just like a Win 7 desktop machine I have), because of the wireless keyboard and mouse; tried to print something in colored font the other day, it only would print in B&W. Checked all the things I could think of and finally gave up and printed from a Windows machine.
- Office software is expensive - just bought a 3 user license of MS office for Win7 for $100 and a single user of Office for Mac for about the same price.
- Applications that don't use the whole screen (maybe it is a what you are used to thing, but why can't the windows on the mac just open to fill the whole screen). If I'm in an application, I don't need to see a lot of extraneous background stuff and it would be nice to just click the maximize window, like in Windows, to fill completely the entire screen.

 

OS X is not really any different from a practical perspective than Windows 7 at all.

It has windows, files, graphics... it's prettier. I find Windows 7 to be much more productive as OS X likes to give you the pretty stuff that can get in the way.

The only real reasons someone would want a Mac is software availability (say, you want an Apple only software) and hardware appeal. Windows runs on the Apples so you can even remove the OSX from the equation entirely.

The best reasons NOT to get a Mac is if you intend to do any sort of gaming, heavy encoding type of things as Mac hardware is always either severely or slightly outdated.

In any case, I run OS X most of the time on my Air just because it's adequate for most surfing and browsing needs. I run Windows if I need mousing precision, games, or corporate logins. To be honest, I'd be happy enough with just Windows and kill the OSX completely except the trackpad usage can be annoying if I'm just surfing on the go. That and the battery life is not managed well in Windows, so I'm stuck with OS X at least for mobile purposes.

 

To each his own.
(I see this thread turning into another mac vs pc argument)
Coming from hardcore windows user for many many years, going the route of OSX is one that I have not regretted once, and will continue to go in the future. I have my own various reasons why I like it, and while I do have to use certain programs for my line of work, I don't boot back into windows after I'm done working because I miss windows.

Either way regarding the OPs original post, there are quirks, and when it comes down to it it is still a computer, so there will still be programs hanging and crashes from time to time. (especially when doing intensive tasks such as video related things)

As for the pricing of office, thats more something that microsoft does, rather then apple. Although their iwork bundle is 100$ for single user, their 5 user pack is only 30$ more. (though to be honest I have not touched iwork in years, and mainly use office)

As for full screen, for many applications you can drag the window out to a full screen view if you want it. While you have to do it manually, it is still possible.

Check out Cinch, it emulates some of the newer features of windows and its window managing. It also has a simple way of making an app fullscreen, which I can see being useful.

Again, I'll bite the bait with panda's response. I've always gamed on my mac, and bought it with the intention of gaming. And they've done well over the years. While my previous MBP was on its last legs for a while, it was also a 4 year old computer. When it was new, it gamed perfectly well. My new one is able to play pretty much everything I've thrown at it, and I game a lot without any issues. Sure I have to go into windows, but whatever, I'm a gamer, and rebooting isn't too much of an issue.

But please, can we stick to the OPs points...

 

Regarding the full-screen - I just installed Word 2011 for Mac and notice it has a nice full screen editing mode. Haven't checked out Powerpoint or Excel yet. Cinch sounds like it would work on other programs. Thanks. Not the end of the world to manually resize, but just kind of bugs. Guess it's what you're used to. Maybe long-time Mac users would find full screen annoying in Windows.

 

I dont know if I would find it annyoing, more just something I've learned to live without, and not really noticed the loss.

Browsing is where I spend most of my time online, and most websites aren't optimized for widescreens or high resolutions, so I don't see the purpose of having bars on either side of the site. Editing and post work applications typically take up the full screen, and it's good to know that office has included some new full functionality as well.

 

100% there with you .. I own a MBP 2.66, 4GB RAM, 256 SSD. Lately I stay in Win7 all the time at work, Office for MAC SUCKS big times, hard to use and slow (5MB Excel with about 5000 lines won't scroll down well in 2011 Mac Excel, very sluggish to the point it's impossible to work with it, whatever mouse I use). Same file opened in Win7 Excel 2010 under Parallel works flawless .. So I just gave up OSX and use Win7, why should I keep Parallel running? Office work can't really be done on MACs unfortunately.

I am on Macs for almost 2 years now, I really tried .. but the software is not there, although the MBP is gorgeous in any way you look at it (ok, maybe a docking station wouldn't hurt). I will keep the iPhone, but probably not the MBP, I am currently looking at Sandy Bridge. I would stick to MACs if Apple would build decent drivers for Win7, scrolling in Win7/Internet Explorer with the trackpad is weird ..

 

This will most likely be changed in Lion. One of the announcements made about Lion was that it will include a native "full screen mode" for all apps, even current ones (at least that's what my understanding is), a la the iPad.

If implemented correctly (which Apple is usually good at doing), this will be a great feature, and somewhat similar to the ability to maximize a window in Windows, but possibly better (it will likely hide the dock and menubar).

This feature will be great in applications such as Word and Safari and other web browsers, and also photo editing programs (I hate the way Photoshop looks currently, even in its "full screen" mode).

 

can we please have copy/paste of files in finder too?

 

you already do... or do you mean cut and paste? cut you don't have in Finder, but copy and paste works fine.

 

sorry yep, meant cut

 

Wanted to chime in and say this is not normal. It may be indicative of a hardware problem. Bad hard drive maybe?

Buy.com - Microsoft Office Mac Home and Student 2011 - Family Pack

I rarely see apps that can take advantage of a maximized 16:10 display. Word can put two pages next to each other for example. Web pages are rarely optimized for it, and even if they are, browsers can't figure it out many times. This is no excuse for the zoom button in OS X being goofy, but yeah, I never found myself yearning for a document so wide I had to turn my head to read it.

 

This is probably my biggest frustration with Mac OS X after 6 months of using it. When performing file operations, dragging and dropping is a mind-numbing method that doesn't compare to a simple hotkey. What in God's name were the developers thinking, if anything at all?

 

not sure but I have been used to doing it in most Linux GUI's since slackware 10 in 98 and windows since 3.11 workgroups ( 93 ). so it gets rather annoying when im doing some file sorting and manuvering in OSX. strangly with a little app we could do it with OS8 and OS9

 

There is a way to add cut and paste to OSX but they are all workarounds via scripts or programs. I haven't tried FileCutter yet but others have used it.

I'm not sure if this is a system limitation or just Steve Job's ego at work.

Ironically, the most inept feature of OS X is its "Windows" features - aka poor file management.

I recommend people to just bootcamp to Windows 7. I honestly think Windows 7 is a hugely superior OS in almost every aspect.

 

sadly I think Steve has it in his mind to not ever manage files... they just want everyone to use Spotlight, and I know a lot of people who do that... smart folder and such so nothing ever has to be moved or organized, you just see what you want... I personally hate this.

its good you like it... its a big improvement over Vista, but there still many things I cannot stand about it... I feel like getting sick anytime I even have to use it, so its definitely all opinion.

 

I will take a look at FileCutter as a possible workaround. Thanks!

 

Seems every time I even get close to trying/buying a Mac I see comments like these.

 

I've had a Macbook and Macbook Pro and a million different PC laptops, and now I have a Macbook Air.

It's not a really big deal really, if you consider the Laptop as hardware and not as OS X.

I do like some of Apple's software so I still use OS X for the most part. iMovie, FaceTime mostly.

 

Path Finder has cut and paste built in, and is pretty much better then finder in every way.

If I didn't have it, I dont know how I would manage in osx.