buy a mac for something new

has anyone else bought a mac just because they are bored with windows (i don't mean fed up or hate) and just want to try something new. Im not saying this was the only reason just a big one

 

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence...

 

I use both, preferring Mac notebooks and Windows desktops. Had nothing to do with boredom, just personal preference (although I do own a mid-spec Windows laptop as well, for dicking around with.)

 

I decided to try a Mac several years ago because I was bored with Windows. I decided to buy it because it was better than any other laptop out at the time.

 

I purchased one because we started to have to support them at work and I ended up really liking OS X. I dont prefer one over the other, and use them both frequently

 

I'm probably the only odd ball here. I bought my unibody 15" MBP because I love the slimness & the design. However, I run Windows 7 on it 24/7 & my MBP has been running only Windows OS ever since I bought it in mid-2009.

 

There is somebody else here on the forums that purchased a MBP to primarily run Windows. Of course, it goes against all logical advice but you can do whatever you want to your computer, that is why it is your system and not mine (which has Windows 7 only as a means to run the xlswrite macro in MATLAB).

I actually almost purchased a PowerBook G4 back in 2004 as I wanted to try something new (OS X) but I decided to hold off after all of the grumblings about Apple switching to Intel (which was all just a rumor at the time). The high price wasn't worth it for me to just try something new and that wasn't on my list of pros when I purchased my 2011 13" MBP. OS X was definitely a pro for me but not because I wanted to try something new.

 

well i got mine as a replacement as i have accidental damage insurance so price was not an issue so i decided to get the 13 inch macbook pro also apple care is one of the best warranty out there

i love windows 7 as i type this on an Alienware m15x but for a second laptop i wanted to try something new plus iTunes may run ok on OSX as its a peace of crap on windows

 

I did this, because I am an IT savvy guy

MAC IS BETTER. Glad I made the choice to MAC over hardware

there is a learning curve but imo mac is so much easier to learn than windows

 

this is not what i meant in my first post and your wrong MAC is not better than windows and windows is not better than mac they both have different uses such as i use my windows laptop for gaming as windows is better for that i will use my mac for surfing the net going to lecture and writing up essays

and personal i don't find windows difficult to use at all there is always a learning curve with any OS

personally i think your just being a troll

 

of course windows has more compatibility with games and software...

im just saying mac is more efficient in many aspects over windows
windows:
clog registries
leaves so much items behind when you uninstall programs
etc.

ive been using windows for about a decade and used mac osx for only a few months

 

its a little wrong to say Windows has compatibility with games and hardware. That seems to be the case but technically its not true. Now Games and Hardware to have greater compatibility with Windows, but its on the gamer and hardware makers responsibility to make that happen, and little to do with Windows itself.

 

this thread was not started to bash windows i was just asking if anyone else has chosen to get a mac because they are bored of windows

 

I've always liked playing with different operating systems. Over the last decade I've used Windows, Mac OS X, BeOS, various Linuxen, FreeBSD, and various UNIX systems at work.

Dabbling with Linux is a good way to avoid the boredom. When the experience gets stale, just install a different distribution or change the desktop environment or window manager.

But if you don't have any UNIX command line skills and don't want to learn, or you just want a "turn key" operating system experience, then buying a Mac is a good idea. You can always dual boot Windows to run your games & Windows software. If your question is not hypothetical, I say go ahead and do it.

 

I have also in the past been tempted to buy a Mac...very recently, in fact. I loved the idea of the 13" Mac. But I have never really bought one. I wish I could get a Mac to play around with for a few days just to get a feel for the OS.

OTOH, I do play around with Linux sometimes and have often dual booted on my Windows machine.

 

To answer to OP question, yes, i am bored with Windows.

i want to try something new, how it feels using the Mac OSX than the Windows.
after get used to it, i feel that, its kinda easy than the first thought i had in mind like "how am i suppose to use Office tools (exchange, words, ppoint etc)?" "how about gaming?" and stuff like that, more on "how to work with the Mac OSX for my office stuff".

ironically, even i have alot of games here (and already have bootcamp installed with Windows 7), i just dont have an "appetite" to fire it up just to play games. things i do when i am on Mac OSX is exploring on what the system are capable to do with. i spend some time reading "how the NTFS support works on Mac OSX" "how to secure the access like user account password along with lockscreen thing" "joining AD for Mac OSX" "programming in Mac OSX" and other stuff that i used to works with Windows. in short words, i learn something new.

i believe, early adoption of Mac OSX user have more difficulties in term of usage than the current user now since alot of resources available e.g Tuxera, Onyx, and heck even MPC OSX Extended (for subs, avi, mkv, 1080p videos etc).

so yeah, i am bored with Windows and wanted to try something new besides having new experience.

 

i got bored by bsods and unexpected operations.

 

Sounds like you are trolling yourself there.

Your OP states you are comparing a hardware vs OS.

Some use a MAC to run OS X... others run Windows XP-7. Why because they can. You can't really do the same with a Dell/HP/Clevo/whatever windows OS based PC out there, without major issues.

As far as bored with windows or OS X, try being bilingual then you will be far from being bored.

 

Being able to fully understand two languages has nothing to do with how busy a person is especially when that really has nothing to do with how a person spends their free time.

highfly, though lacking any type of punctuation, was showing neutral points as threads like these often become heated debates and are eventually closed. The OP didn't even ask if people preferred one OS over the other, it was not the intent of their post.

I also think you need to browse the Internet a little further as people have OS X up and running just fine on their HP or Dell. True, Apple's hardware is the only one that natively supports both OS X and Windows but we all know that means very little in this day and age.

 

If it wasn't for Apple's inclusion of Boot Camp and the dramatic improvements made by virtualization software from VMWare & Parallels, I might never have bought an MBP. I now own an MBP alongside a Windows desktop and get the best of both worlds. Each have their advantages.

 

I think I'm getting what you're saying, but the way it's coming across is, (and I'm paraphrasing).."Thankfully I can run a Mac as a Windows machine, otherwise I wouldn't have bought one". Well that just looks like you bought it for the "pretty" and not for OS X so what's the point here? At the end of the day OS X coupled with the hardware is what makes the Mac experience, not just the hardware running Windows. Otherwise it's just another common run of the mill Windows PC incased in a pretty box. I'm not really getting your "Best of Both Worlds". Just sayin'.

 

At first, yes I just bought it for the "prettiness" . Having the ability to run Windows as a fall-back in the event that OS X did not meet my needs was a deciding factor. Having an operating system that is designed specifically for a specific set of hardware is a great thing to have in terms of getting a high quality product, which was another factor. What now makes it an impressive machine is using VMWare to run Windows virtually. That's the way I'm getting the best of both worlds.

 

Okay, gotcha. That makes a lot of sense. I think that's one of the best attributes of owning a Mac is it's a one stop shop and no matter what software you need to run it can run it....provided you purchase the needed OS of course.

 

Curiosity is the only thing that led me to buy a Macbook Pro. I don't believe OS X is better than Windows 7 or vice versa.

I find I am more comfortable with Windows 7 ... Although, OS X has some perks I do love, namely:

1. Recovery from sleep is instant, no need to wait for your wireless adapter to connect to a network.
2. Expose

Other than that, I like the aesthetics of Macbook Pro better than any other laptop on the market.

In any case, I think I shall be selling mine soon, and picking up the next Macbook Air.

 

Well, the good thing about Macs is that you can access both operating systems without dabbling in legal shades of grey. So if you get bored of one, just use the other for a month or so, and then revert. I suppose if you get really bored, you could add Linux to the mix too.

One annoyance though--my favorite software happen to be compatible with either Windows or OSX, but not both. For example, I love using Sparrow for mail, but I abhor Adium. On the other hand, I like Trillian for Windows but hate all the Windows e-mail client offerings. Some people get around this by using Fusion or Parallels, but I don't actually like keeping those running all the time.

As it happens, currently, the software I prefer to use on OSX outweighs those that I prefer to use in Windows (e.g., I like Sparrow significantly more than I despise Adium), so I'm using OSX as my default OS. That may change at any moment though.

P.S. Did I mention what a great piece of software Sparrow is? Being able to use Sparrow alone is worth buying a Mac

 

Well thanks for the heads up but after I saw that Sparrow cost an enormous $9.99 I got completely turned off. I'm sure it's nice but it's just email at the end of the day and while I have to use email daily as my Macs are used for business, I'd rather stick with the freebees and there are plenty of them including Apple's Mail app. Since I use Office I use Outlook as well. Paying $9.99 just for an email client isn't worth it IMO.

 

Each to his or her own. It was cheaper when it came out with a release promotion.

There's also a free version with fewer features.

 

Glad to see that there is a precedent. I'm honestly seriously considering doing exactly this.

Given all the stuff I gone thru with sony and hp I'm sorta tired of dealing with computers made by these PC manufacturers. The throttling issues that appear to be plaguing the Envy line. The build quality issues. Even things like customer support.

Once I'm done paying off my HDTV I'm gonna save some money up and seriously consider getting a MBP or a Windows 7 laptop.

The on thing I don't like though is the lack of the number pad on the MBP. Even the 17 inch doesn't have a number pad!? Seems sorta ridiculous to me...at least give me the option.

 

Sorry to be so blunt but you do have the option, you simply buy something else besides a Macbook Pro if you want a keypad. If you're talking about having the option to order with a keypad or not then that's asking too much. It requires different structuring in the casing or at best two separate models JUST for people that want or do not want a keypad. That's not gonna happen. That's just stuff that happens in the Windows world. Apple is not a Windows PC-type company, if that came across correctly.

 

There's no need to be rude about it. I'm simply stating my opinion and clearly YES there are other laptops besides the MBP. I even stated one....

However IF I wanted a MBP (which is what I AM considering at the moment) there is NOT an option for a MBP with a standard number pad on the right hand side of the keyboard.

That's just a fact. No need to go into Apple is the bestest and can do wrong mode. I"ve got plenty of respect for the company and I like the iPad and I own an iPhone. But that doesn't mean I can't desire that some things be changed in the future or that its a crime for me to want something at the moment when I'm about to order....

 

I bought a MacBook Pro and iPad out of curiosity. They were cool. I bought three MBPs this year. They're all gone. Waiting on the airs. If they're super cool, I'll dump my Lenovo.

 

I support 80+ windows computers, but personally jump back and forth between Mac and Windows.

Like someone else mentioned earlier, I tend to prefer Mac for my laptop, and windows for my desktop.

I guess the reason for that is because I've yet to find a windows laptop that is built as nicely as the macbook pro's are... and good build quality is very important in a small machine that travels a lot with me. I also find the touchpad and touchpad gestures to be extremely enjoyable on Macs - that sounds like a minor thing, but when you are on the touchpad all day long while traveling, it can be a big thing.

For desktops, it all comes down to power to price ratio and compatibility for me. I can get a more powerful rig, cheaper, and that will run more software, if I stick to windows. Things like build quality and touchpad elegance do not come into play in this scenario... so I stick to Win7.

My first experience with Mac was not a "I'm bored" moment, but I can certainly understand that. It was more of "Oh no, what am I going to do!?" moment. I purchased my first MBP back when Vista was first released and I thought to myself... oh no, what am I going to do? It was a mess, and there was no way I could roll that OS out to my organization, it just caused too much trouble. So I started looking into windows alternatives. Linux and Mac included. Thankfully, Windows extended XP and then Windows 7 came along... so crisis averted, but I am happy that I discovered Mac laptops as part of it.

 

You need to calm down seriously. First off I stated verbatim, "Sorry to be so blunt". I wasn't trying to be rude, there was no other way to "state MY opinion" which is what I was doing but I guess you're the only that's allowed state one right?

I stated a fact as well, I don't see where I didn't. Where did I say, "Apple is the bestest and can do no wrong?". I didn't and there was nothing that insinuated it. You said it was ridiculous that they don't offer a keypad "option". I said that it's just something they don't do because they are not another Windows PC company. Apple tends to do things differently. If you can't stand an opinion of another without calling them rude, then......

 

Not to go off-topic but that is kind of what happened at my current office. They purchased a whole bunch of new desktops and were upgrading the entire building based on sections. The only issue was that the desktops all came with Vista pre-installed and people were pulling their hair out trying to navigate around it (Vista was also causing IT problems though I don't know the specifics). Then one of the bigwigs on the top floor brought in an iMac, the IT department messed with it for a month, and they decided to make the switch. It is funny as I left the building in 2006 and it was filled with Pentium 4 Dell desktops running Windows XP. I came back last year and now everyone is running Core 2 Duo iMacs (the 17" ones) and the managers are about to upgrade to the base 21.5" iMacs (the upgrade will eventually trickle down to everyone over the next year).

There are still some Windows machines that are running XP or even 98 but Vista was completely averted and now everyone runs OS X with Win 7 installed via Bootcamp (though the IT department is now completely new with a bunch of Macheads to hate that we have to run Windows for those rare software/hardware occasions).

 

I do hear stories like this when I talk shop with other IT VPs, not a lot... but more than I would have expected.

The barriers to a full organization switch for us are still pretty high. But it is fun to consider how much Vista might be behind Apple's surge.

 

Not so much Apple. A lot of IT's are still XP. Not changing hardware is cheaper, plus Vista was total trash as far as IT. Seven (7) is just now proving itself, and if you think a lot of IT's are going for 64 think again, you don't need 64 for basic spreads or wp.