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Author Topic: Switching from PC to Mac?  (Read 32724 times)

marcmccalmont

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Switching from PC to Mac?
« on: December 06, 2009, 02:10:05 pm »

I'm thinking of going from an HP laptop to an iMac all in one computer
The logic is I will probably be living in an apartment in the near future and an all in one will double as a TV
The iMac appears to be the highest performance all in one
Has any one gone through the process of migrating windows programs to a Mac? Is it expensive or no cost? CS4, DxO, C1 etc? I would like to run most of the programs on the Mac OS and the few CAD programs not available for a Mac on windows.
The other option is to purchase a high end laptop (probably HP) and use an external monitor when at home.
Thanks
Marc
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Slobodan Blagojevic

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Switching from PC to Mac?
« Reply #1 on: December 06, 2009, 03:28:07 pm »

It is never late, nor a bad idea, to switch to Mac  

I know the above sounds like a fanboy gushing, but it comes from someone who spent twenty plus years on the Windoze before switching.

Jack Flesher

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« Reply #2 on: December 06, 2009, 04:06:58 pm »

Quote from: slobodan56
It is never late, nor a bad idea, to switch to Mac  

I know the above sounds like a fanboy gushing, but it comes from someone who spent twenty plus years on the Windoze before switching.

Ditto... Same here. Switched 2 years ago and have not regretted the move.
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marcmccalmont

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Switching from PC to Mac?
« Reply #3 on: December 06, 2009, 04:23:24 pm »

Are you using programs under the Mac OS primarily?
Marc
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Marc McCalmont

Jonathan Wienke

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« Reply #4 on: December 06, 2009, 04:32:55 pm »

Quote from: marcmccalmont
Has any one gone through the process of migrating windows programs to a Mac? Is it expensive or no cost? CS4, DxO, C1 etc? I would like to run most of the programs on the Mac OS and the few CAD programs not available for a Mac on windows.

You will have to re-buy all your software.
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Craddosk

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Switching from PC to Mac?
« Reply #5 on: December 06, 2009, 04:38:50 pm »

Quote from: Jonathan Wienke
You will have to re-buy all your software.

What about calling Adobe and deactivating/reactivating it when you migrate it? I've heard of that working for Photoshop, not too sure about the others.
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Slobodan Blagojevic

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Switching from PC to Mac?
« Reply #6 on: December 06, 2009, 04:44:43 pm »

Quote from: Jonathan Wienke
You will have to re-buy all your software.

Hmm... I will speak from my personal experience and memory... If I remember correctly, I just needed to sign a statement that I will not use my PC version of Photoshop anymore in order to move/upgrade to Mac... I think it is known as a cross-platform upgrade or similar. The worst case is the price of the upgrade, not the price of the full-product. The terms might be different for different software though. On the other hand, with a virtual PC running on my Mac (VMware Fusion), I can run any Windoze-based program as if it is just another open window on my Mac.
« Last Edit: December 06, 2009, 04:46:31 pm by slobodan56 »
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marcmccalmont

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Switching from PC to Mac?
« Reply #7 on: December 06, 2009, 04:55:45 pm »

Quote from: Jonathan Wienke
You will have to re-buy all your software.
So far DxO will allow 2 computers on one license either OS. No answer from adobe yet. C1 DB is free either way if you have a P1 DB. But there are years of accumulated programs and a few windows only programs mostly loudspeaker design stuff like LEAP, Autocad etc. I'll just run them under windows 7 or xp? Might be a good time for some house cleaning anyways. I'm not looking forward to the amount of work this will take or the thought of learning another OS.
Marc
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Marc McCalmont

marcmccalmont

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Switching from PC to Mac?
« Reply #8 on: December 06, 2009, 04:57:37 pm »

Quote from: slobodan56
Hmm... I will speak from my personal experience and memory... If I remember correctly, I just needed to sign a statement that I will not use my PC version of Photoshop anymore in order to move/upgrade to Mac... I think it is known as a cross-platform upgrade or similar. The worst case is the price of the upgrade, not the price of the full-product. The terms might be different for different software though. On the other hand, with a virtual PC running on my Mac (VMware Fusion), I can run any Windoze-based program as if it is just another open window on my Mac.

So VMware Fusion would be easier than booting up windows with bootcamp?
Marc
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Marc McCalmont

budjames

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« Reply #9 on: December 06, 2009, 05:20:46 pm »

I switched back to Macs 3 years ago when I saw WinXP running on VMWare Fusion. I was sold as I have to run a few WinXP only programs for my financial planning practice (the career that affords me the luxury of expensive photo gear).

I owned Adobe Photoshop and InDesign for WinXP that Adobe allowed me to destroy and get a Mac version licenses issued. Other programs were purchased as part of the normal upgrade cycle (MacOffice, Adobe Acrobat, etc.)

The result is that I can run WinXP-specific programs (ACT! CRM and IE for IE-only financial web site requiring ActiveX programming) when I need to alongside the Mac OS (now Snow Leopard) for everything else - iWork, iLife, Photoshop, Lightroom, MacOffice, scanning programs.

For my photography, I use Lightroom mostly, followed by Photoshop CS4 and a bunch of plug-ins. I could not be happier now that I'm back to the Mac after a 14 year hiatus.

My tech support issues have all but disappeared and, of course, we all know that Macs are so much more fun and intuitive to use. Unfortunately, when you have to run Mac OS and WinXP side-by-side each day like I do, it becomes very apparent how stupid Windows is when compared to Snow Leopard.

I say go for it. You won't regret it!

Cheers.
Bud
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Slobodan Blagojevic

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« Reply #10 on: December 06, 2009, 05:52:23 pm »

Quote from: marcmccalmont
So VMware Fusion would be easier than booting up windows with bootcamp?
Marc

Well, I have no personal experience with the bootcamp, but my understanding of it is that it is a stand-alone system, i.e., you need to get out of Mac and boot the machine again into Windoze. Obviously, if you plan of spending the whole day exclusively in Windoze environment, that would be ok... however, with a virtual machine, you can go back and forth Windoze and Mac quickly  and as often  as you wish just by clicking into their respective windows. I can also effortlessly copy/move files between systems as simply as drag-and-dropping them... a Windows program's icon can reside in Mac's Doc for easy access... I can monitor or use my Mac email program in one window and copy content from an email and paste it into a Windoze program residing in another window on the same screen... virtual machine uses the same Internet connection and the same printer as Mac and usually there is no need for a separate configuration of either one. Say I receive an email with a pdf or Word attachment; if I right-click the attachment, I can then chose to open it in Mac or in Windoze... how cool is that?

Jeremy Roussak

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« Reply #11 on: December 06, 2009, 06:09:06 pm »

Quote from: slobodan56
Well, I have no personal experience with the bootcamp, but my understanding of it is that it is a stand-alone system, i.e., you need to get out of Mac and boot the machine again into Windoze. Obviously, if you plan of spending the whole day exclusively in Windoze environment, that would be ok... however, with a virtual machine, you can go back and forth Windoze and Mac quickly  and as often  as you wish just by clicking into their respective windows. I can also effortlessly copy/move files between systems as simply as drag-and-dropping them... a Windows program's icon can reside in Mac's Doc for easy access... I can monitor or use my Mac email program in one window and copy content from an email and paste it into a Windoze program residing in another window on the same screen... virtual machine uses the same Internet connection and the same printer as Mac and usually there is no need for a separate configuration of either one. Say I receive an email with a pdf or Word attachment; if I right-click the attachment, I can then chose to open it in Mac or in Windoze... how cool is that?
You're right about BootCamp: your Mac becomes a PC until you reboot it back into a Mac. I gather that there are some few things that run better (video-intensive stuff) than under virtualisation, but I've not had call to use any of them.

Generally, I agree with Slobodan: the level of integration between the Mac and the Windoze side that Fusion accomplishes is very impressive (and I imagine that Parallels is pretty much the same). Running Virtual PC was always a pain, slow and unreliable. Now Macs run on Intel chips, the major problem (emulation) has disappeared. The mode in which the Windoze windows break free of the constraints of the virtualisation application's window (both Fusion and Parallels have it) and roam free on your desktop is almost surreal: this one's a Mac window, in which I run a Mac: that one, a single click away, is a Windoze window, in which I run Windoze.

Jeremy
« Last Edit: December 06, 2009, 06:10:01 pm by kikashi »
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marcmccalmont

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Switching from PC to Mac?
« Reply #12 on: December 06, 2009, 06:30:14 pm »

Like the Nike ad I'll just do it!
Marc
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Jonathan Wienke

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« Reply #13 on: December 06, 2009, 09:47:29 pm »

Personally, I wouldn't bother. I have a Macbook laptop and a collection of Windows boxes and laptops. Mac is "different", but not necessarily "better". The OS is different, the apps are different, and so are the bugs, glitches and stupidities. Yes, Macs have stupid software usability problems, too, just look at the long thread in the color management forum about getting an untagged target image to print properly so you can profile your printer. Apple has totally screwed up there, and made it very difficult to perform a simple, necessary color management task. And Apple still doesn't have an actual maximize button so that you can resize a window to fill the entire screen. With most apps, you have to drag the window and resize it manually. WTF??? Is that supposed to be part of the "superior user experience"???

The only thing Apple has that Windows doesn't is the cadre of zealots who think it's totally awesome to pay a ~30% price premium over equivalent non-Apple hardware just because the case is pretty. If you switch, you'll have to deal with the hassle of switching app versions, learn a different way of interacting with your computer, and deal with a different (but not necessarily smaller) set of bugs and glitches and hassles.
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Slobodan Blagojevic

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« Reply #14 on: December 06, 2009, 10:03:32 pm »

Quote from: Jonathan Wienke
... The only thing Apple has that Windows doesn't is the cadre of zealots who think it's totally awesome to pay a ~30% price premium over equivalent non-Apple hardware just because the case is pretty...
And I thought we left this type of argument in... what?... fifth grade?

Jonathan Wienke

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« Reply #15 on: December 06, 2009, 10:25:05 pm »

Quote from: slobodan56
And I thought we left this type of argument in... what?... fifth grade?

I've met plenty of people for whom Apple is more of a religion or cult than a choice of technology, complete with the compulsive need to either convert, insult, or subdue the heretics who use Windows, and a strong superiority complex. I have yet to meet anyone similarly afflicted over Windows. It's not an argument, it's personal experience.

I have a Macbook that I use fairly regularly, which makes me an Apple user the last time I checked, and I've used various other Apple computer products during the course of being employed in the photo lab at the US Capitol and elsewhere. Apple makes a solid line of computers and a pretty decent OS that can get the job done for most tasks. I just don't see the differences in exterior aesthetics, usability, and computing power as being significant enough to justify the price premium and the hassles associated with switching.
« Last Edit: December 06, 2009, 10:34:44 pm by Jonathan Wienke »
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marcmccalmont

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« Reply #16 on: December 06, 2009, 10:37:59 pm »

Quote from: Jonathan Wienke
Personally, I wouldn't bother. I have a Macbook laptop and a collection of Windows boxes and laptops. Mac is "different", but not necessarily "better". The OS is different, the apps are different, and so are the bugs, glitches and stupidities. Yes, Macs have stupid software usability problems, too, just look at the long thread in the color management forum about getting an untagged target image to print properly so you can profile your printer. Apple has totally screwed up there, and made it very difficult to perform a simple, necessary color management task. And Apple still doesn't have an actual maximize button so that you can resize a window to fill the entire screen. With most apps, you have to drag the window and resize it manually. WTF??? Is that supposed to be part of the "superior user experience"???

The only thing Apple has that Windows doesn't is the cadre of zealots who think it's totally awesome to pay a ~30% price premium over equivalent non-Apple hardware just because the case is pretty. If you switch, you'll have to deal with the hassle of switching app versions, learn a different way of interacting with your computer, and deal with a different (but not necessarily smaller) set of bugs and glitches and hassles.

You are right of course which is why my last Mac was a Mac 128k bought in 1984! I decided on an all in one because of the simple clean design and a screen suitable for watching movies/TV in a small apartment. As I looked at the available quad core all in ones, figuring in the upgrade cost of ram (they allow you to purchase 2, 4 gig dimms vs 4, 2 gig dimms), the Mac platform actually was not more expensive, a surprise to me. So I first thought I would just run it as a Windows machine then I figured I can migrate the photo apps to the Mac OS. It looks like the most elegant solution is to run it as a Mac and run windows programs with VMware
Marc
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marcmccalmont

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« Reply #17 on: December 06, 2009, 10:56:16 pm »

Quote from: slobodan56
And I thought we left this type of argument in... what?... fifth grade?


But it is true, usually an equivalent $2500 Mac laptop will cost $1500 as a windows machine which is why I was surprised that with the imac vs an all in one PC the playing field has been leveled, at least in a higher end quadcore machine with 8 to 16 gigs of ram. And you have to admit Mac fanatics are a higher % of the mac population than Windows fanatics are of the PC population! Bottom line is a computer is a tool, nothing wrong with loving your tools. I also like Jonathan's frankness, probably the Marine in me, right or wrong you know where he stands I like that in a person.
Marc
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Slobodan Blagojevic

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« Reply #18 on: December 06, 2009, 10:57:43 pm »

Quote from: marcmccalmont
... As I looked at the available quad core all in ones, figuring in the upgrade cost of ram (they allow you to purchase 2, 4 gig dimms vs 4, 2 gig dimms), the Mac platform actually was not more expensive, a surprise to me...
Indeed... When I switched in 2005 I did the same comparison between an iMac and a similarly spec'd Dell and, to my surprise also, the price was practically identical.

Gemmtech

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« Reply #19 on: December 06, 2009, 11:40:52 pm »

I always built my own PCs and then a few years ago I decided to buy a 24" IMAC and I used Bootcamp to use Windows, I liked the style of the machine a lot, and I must admit I never gave the MAC os much of a chance since all my CAD software is only ported to Windows, I ended up buying 3 IMACs and for the first time in my life I had a hard drive fail (I always use SCSI) and not just once but on two of the IMACs and Apple has the most ridiculous repair policy under warranty, they keep your hard drive and will "ALLOW" you to authorize them to send it to one of their authorized recovery companies for $2500-$4000 to retrieve your information that you were dumb enough not to backup.  Then the 3rd IMAC, the video card died.  Naturally IMACs are very difficult if not impossible to upgrade sans the ram.  Plus, as with stereo components, if you have a receiver and it dies, so does your tuner, amp, etc.  I like building my own computers and upgrading / repairing at will.  

October 2009 came and I decided to buy a 15" MBP and I didn't dual boot it because I was going on vacation and didn't want to have Windows 7 as a crutch.  I couldn't load my CAD software, but it was a vacation.  I have to laugh at those who say Apples are better, they have as many if not more stupid issues as any Windows machine, previewing photos on a MAC?  What a joke!  Expanding a window on a MAC?  What a joke!  Launching an application twice with a MAC?  What a joke!  Software selection for a MAC?  What a joke!  I love the trackpad and typing experience and I must admit I love how quickly it boots up, shuts down, close the lid, it goes to sleep, open it and 3 seconds later you are working.  I like the fact I get 4+ hours battery life watching DVD movies and I've hit close to 6 hours doing the basics, but HP has some units that will triple those times.  I have an HP Laptop, but it's an HDX18 and it's heavy.  I did take the MBP apart as soon as I bought it and it is easy to upgrade the HD and Memory, except all those little screws are a pain.  A non-replaceable battery?  Come on, what a joke!

I'm more familiar with Windows and printing a large image with multiple sheets was easy, it's in the Epson 3880 dialog box, I thought it was in Apple's as well, but it didn't work yet.  

Once you learn the MAC os, it's a fine machine, but I wont buy another IMAC.

As far as price, come on, get real people, Apples are always more expensive, look at the Sony all in one,  
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores...552921666002175

a little tough comparison because the Sony is a 24" touchscreen (Apples are 21" or 27"), but it's a quadcore, 6GB ram, 1GB video ram, blu-ray, tv tuner, Card reader, remote control, HDMI, put those specs on the Apple (I guess you can't get Blu-Ray) and see how much more,  $500.00?

I know my MBP was more than a comparable HP, Lenovo, because I priced them out.  

If you are having luck with your Windows machine, why bother?  You can always get more bang for the buck, more power and more software with a Windows machine.  And if you want, you can build your own!

And one last item, you'd think that Quicken, Turbo Tax, Word, Excel are identical with the MAC versions, they aren't.

OK one final item, for some reason Apple doesn't believe that a numeric keypad is a necessity on a laptop, I would like one!
« Last Edit: December 07, 2009, 12:05:31 am by Gemmtech »
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