Apple computer

[4Cruizn]

I just got a new apple computer yesterday and OMG . . talk about lost?  I currently have about 35 computers that are in my offices that I am responsible for or maintain . . . but just got a new apple computer and although it looks cool . . . I have no clue.  Curious what all everyone thinks?   

[Chryco Psycho]

I have one & like it 

[Rare_T_A]

Sorry I cannot help you out. I have never run one. My daughter lovers hers and thinks it's the best.   

[73Chally]

I've had a 24" iMac for almost 3 years now, and absolutely love it.  No need for Nortons/Macafee.etc because it does not run on a POS O/S that Billy Bob down the street can hack in to and infect.  I had already bought a lot of PC software, so I just added Parallels, which allowed me to install and run Windows XP just like any other program, and XP even runs flawlessly.  It took a Mac to make Windows and all it's programs work like it should have all along.  Go figure.

[IMNCARN82]

Once you get used to it,You'll never go back. Everyone has em' around here. I went looking for software,It was already in there...      Never used one like in your pic. Always laptops.  err...iphone.

[72bluNblu]

I've been using Apple computers since the original Macintosh  . I currently have a 20" iMac.

But I also have a lot of experience using the window platform because of my engineering degree. I have to say, for ease of use and stability the Mac wins hands down. Software is a little more limited, but that has been improving a lot recently. Even when I was in college (almost 10 years ago now), my Apple computer was more stable and reliable running DOS emulator software and Windows platform engineering programs than most of my friends windows computers were, running software that was native to that platform.

As far as "being lost", it does take a little time to get used to the different interface. I hate going back into the PC's at work and trying to remember all the key commands or trying to find settings/preferences I need. However, the Mac OS is very intuitive. Just run around and click on things. You'll have a hard time doing anything that will cause you problems later. Also, if you go to the "help" menu on the main menu bar (top of the screen), Apple has all kinds of tutorial video's available. They also have quite a few tutorials on the apple website under "support". They have several introduction videos for the Mac OS.

But really, its pretty simple. Everything you need to get started is on the "dock" (menu bar looking thing at the bottom of the screen), or on the menu bar at the top. Everything on the desktop is pretty much drag and drop, and your preferences are under the "system preferences" icon on the dock. All the software should walk you through its set up the first time you open it. Also, not sure if you have a 1 button mouse or not, but if you do and need to "right click" on something, just hold the "control" key down and click. I use a logitech mouse as I was never really fond of the 1 button thing. Makes things easy most of the time (and for new users), but sometimes you just have to right click.

Just forget about all the BS you have to do in order to do what you want on a PC. On a Mac all you have to do is click on the picture, drag and drop, or follow the instructions that the OS will walk you through.

[4Cruizn]

Some good advise here!  Thanks and I look forward to playing with it.  I need to use it and then get it set up for work.  Once I have it figured out . . . I will switch over for good. 

So far pretty cool . . . wireless keyboard and mouse . . . huge screen! 

[_Russ_]

Never had a Mac, but my next computer will definitely be one.

Windows gives me nothing but grief, and I've yet to hear anyone that's gone from Windows to Apple every wish they didn't.

[GoodysGotaCuda]

I have a 21.x" iMac we bought in the spring. 1tb hard drive and all the good stuff in it. I love it, I used to have an ORIGINAL iMac but haven't been able to afford another with how cheap a windows machine can be had. I love it, so much simper, no stupid pop ups, less virus worries, more intuitive.

[ChallengerHK]

I don't own Macs, but I've been in positions where I was forced to use them, and I don't care for them. I concur that they tend to be more stable, but I think they've let the engineers take over too many functions, and the end result has been that to many things just have no common sense behind them if you're not a computer designer.

My favorite example, from the first time I had to use a Mac, back in the days of the 3.5 in floppy. Want your disc back? There's no button to push. Search through all the software menus, but nothing says "Eject Disc." Search the desktop, same thing. Finally, since the info on the disc was sensitive, I decided to erase it. I dragged the disc icon to the trash, which in any sensible world is telling the computer to erase it...and the disc popped out.    So my best advice would be that when using a Mac, you need to radically realign your thinking as to how a computer should work.

My ongoing joke with my Mac-using friends is that they should come with Fisher-Price labels.

[GoodysGotaCuda]

It's true, but after you understand how to use a mac. The beloved windows will be come annoying.

[ChallengerHK]

It's true, but after you understand how to use a mac. The beloved windows will be come annoying.

You might be right, Goody, but I liken it to what I would think if I had to turn the key to OFF to start my car. I might get used to it, but I don't think it would ever make sense to me. With windows, on the other hand, I've never had to study the manual for an application. I just start using them, which I can do because the command structure is logical  I don't think I'd miss all the crashes and blue screens of death, but I know I would miss things like "Putting a file in the trash can deletes it."

[boydsdodge]

I want one here,
Had the old stand alone Imac and was great got me editing or movies and my music collection is great.
But in my shop I have a PC, the accountant said I had to get one so she could give me my accounting spread sheets, I hate it, that's a bit strong but I miss my Mac.
This Pc and the other three have without fail completely crashed and lost current invoices and other things I hadn't gotten to backing up yet.
I want a new big Mac out here in the shop big screen and all my music so my Iphone and pod can be easily updated and never have the annual crash thing happen.

[72bluNblu]

You might be right, Goody, but I liken it to what I would think if I had to turn the key to OFF to start my car. I might get used to it, but I don't think it would ever make sense to me. With windows, on the other hand, I've never had to study the manual for an application. I just start using them, which I can do because the command structure is logical  I don't think I'd miss all the crashes and blue screens of death, but I know I would miss things like "Putting a file in the trash can deletes it."

Oh please! Putting a file in the trash DOES delete it. Unless its a disk/CD/DVD or flash drive. In which case, it ejects or unmounts it. And if you know how to right click, it pulls up an "eject" command on the pop up window. On the new OS, if you drag the icon over to the dock, the "trash" icon actually changes to an "eject" tab. And finally, I have an eject key on my keyboard. Unlike Microsoft, Apple actually listens to their users once in awhile, and added an eject key a few years back (sometime after those ridiculous 3.5" floppy disks became completely obsolete).

As far as counter-intuitive, how about a pop up window that asks me if I actually want to run the software I just clicked on? After it tells me that the software may in fact damage my computer. After which I need to click on ANOTHER pop up window to actually proceed. Yeah, that's intuitive. 

[73Chally]

As far as counter-intuitive, how about a pop up window that asks me if I actually want to run the software I just clicked on? After it tells me that the software may in fact damage my computer. After which I need to click on ANOTHER pop up window to actually proceed. Yeah, that's intuitive. 

That is the single most stupid, ridiculous thing about Windows.  They obviously did that to cover their own ass*s knowing full well that virtually any PC software program out there, including their own, can and will at some point crash your computer.