I’m planning on getting a new laptop in the not to distant future. My scholarship will pay for one, and I’ve promised my sister my current laptop when she graduates in May. I may be getting an iPhone soon, so I’ve been contemplating a Mac. I’ve always used PCs in the past so I was wondering if anyone could tell me how easy/difficult the transition is.
Way easier than the other way around.
To do low level stuff you’ll have to get used to BSD, but that’s really rare.
And an Engineer should be familiar with BSD anyhoo.
In all seriousness, what’s BSD?
Berkeley Software Distribution. Before there was Linux, there was BSD which was a variant of the ancient and venerable UNIX. BSD is the basis for operating systems like Solaris and MacOS X.
If you are conversant with such commands, you’ll be okay. If not, get the Missing Manual from David Pogue’s publishing imprint on your version of MacOS X. That’ll bridge the gap most easily.
I probably won’t mess with anything on that level for a while.
What about working with documents, spreadsheets, slide shows, etc.? Or downloading software and games? How different is the interface?
Thank you for your help O Mighty Hive Mind
Congrats on your decision to get a mac! welcome to the good side:-)
While I myself have always been a mac user I know people who have switched and all are better off for it.
The interface is different, but it takes only a little getting used to. Your best resource for switching will be Apple’s switch page, which has everything you’ll need for the basics and more:
http://www.apple.com/support/switch101/
A mac will be able to run microsoft office. As for software and games, some will run on the mac, but many games don’t. but that’s ok! since the macs have used an intel chip you have been able to run windows on a mac. The computer comes with something called boot camp which allows you to start up in either OSX (the mac operating system) or windows. (You do have to install windows yourself.) If you want to spend a little money, you can buy a piece of software called parallels, which allows you to run windows and OSX at the same time, so you can switch between them without restarting your computer. As you go if you have more specific questions, I’m happy to help!
I suggest you use Firefox. I also suggest you get DiskWarrior. Subscribe to MacLife or pick up a few articles and that will pretty much get you up to speed.
If there’s an Apple Store near you, go there and they’ll walk you through the switch.
AEG:
As a Microsoft-centric software developer I just recently made the switch myself (about a year ago). A couple of thots:
The Mac version of Office handles your document needs fine. I’ve been exchanging Word and Excel docs with PC and Mac users interchangeably without concern. (Just remember to make sure to add a filename extension. The Mac doesn’t require them, but PCs do.) Office also includes a version of PowerPoint, so if you need it you’re OK. And for that matter, The Al Goriffic Keynote will open PPT files, though PPT won’t open Keynote.
Though lots of people trash the Apple Mail application, I like it a lot. It’s very low BS compared to Entourage (which also comes with Office), and the search functionality is very helpful. In fact, I’d say Spotlight is likely one of the finest parts of the OS X experience. Looking for a scrap of info? Just hit Command-Space and enter it. The OS full-text searches a pre-created and constantly-updated index of everything on the computer (including the inside of documents, emails, etc) and returns a hit list of everything it finds. Select “show all” and flip to cover view to flip through your documents (and appointments, emails, whatever) just like albums in iTunes. It’s hard to describe how useful (and badass cool) this is.
You’ll find Mac apps (many free or very cheap) to replace the majority of your PC needs with two major exceptions:
Visio/MS Project: If you use these a lot (I do), you’ll need Parallels and an XP license. (More on that later.) There are no suitable replacements. I’ve tried all the “replacements” out there and they’re not up to snuff – or compatible with clents/school software.
Games: Your only real option here is Boot Camp – setting up the computer so you can boot it to either OS X or XP. Even then you’ll discover that most Macs (especially laptops) ship with what PC gamers would consider sub-par graphics hardware. The Mac is a lousy gaming system, unless you’re talking Mac Pro and a decent graphics card (which I’m pretty sure you’re not).
Parallels (now at v4.0) allows you to run XP (and other OSs) as virtual machines (VM) either full-screen or in a window. I wouldn’t advise anyone to lean on Parallels for help switching as the sooner you find good replacement apps for your PC standbys the better. But if you need to do Windows-required technical work – like, for example, developing software for Windows, testing software for Windows, or maybe running some engineering-specific analysis or math software – it’s awesome. One really cool advantage (for me, anyway) is that when I’m working with a client that requires me to connect via VPN I can actually put the VM on their VPN while keeping my OS X desktop (or laptop) on my own network. Anyone who’s had this issue will know just how kickass this solution is.
Re: Apple hardware experience vs. PC hardware experience
Things I’ve noticed:
If you keep the screen dim and don’t do crazy stuff like burning DVDs, most Mac laptops will deliver an Imperial s—load of battery life. My last-gen MacBook has given me 4-6 hours consistantly.
Apple hardware is beautiful and the form factor is always dead-on-perfect.
Apple hardware is always more fragile than the majority of PC counterparts (with some exceptions, of course). This doesn’t bother me because besides wearing out keyboards – freelance writers/software developers type a lot – I’m really easy on hardware. I carried a 17" Sony A290 (well known as a “glass” laptop) for years and it’s still in one piece, so Apples aren’t a problem for me. But if you’re hard on hardware, beware.
Because of the tight form-factors, Apples sometimes choke in high-performance situations. You can’t assume (like you can with most PCs) that if the OS’ll let you do it, it won’t cause hardware damage. If your Mac starts to sound like a jet engine at idle and is burning your leg, just go ahead and stop whatever you’re doing. Better yet, buy a slightly larger and more powerful model – or if you’re really going to compile code for three hours at a time, spring for a desktop.
Buy a good case, read online about issues (so you can avoid 'em), and enjoy. Style-wise it’s like wearing Armani instead of Sears. But Armani requires care, right?
re: BSD/The OS experience
Don’t worry about learning all about BSD. Yeah, some things make more sense at first if you’ve done an Ubuntu install recently, but I’ll round those up for you right here:
Unlike Win (and like *ux), when you close a window the app continues running. You have both a window-close option (Command-W) and a quit option (Command-Q). Getting used to this is like getting used to an RPN calculator: at first it’s kinda weird, but once you settle in you’ll wonder how you got along any other way. This gives you the option to manage memory/resources yourself. Say you’re plowing through a bunch of Excel spreadsheets. Just close the windows and leave the app running so you can open/close files quickly. When you’re done, quit.
Most Mac software arrives in .dmg files. These are “disk images.” Click on 'em and they’ll “mount as drives,” which means you’l see a little drive appear on the desktop and you can open it. Open it and you’ll find either (rarely) an installer which you’ll double click and run just like a Win installer or (commonly) a bare app that you’ll just drag into the “applications” folder to install. Remember to “eject” the mounted drive when you’re finished. Done.
Some updates require you to re-enter your admin password (just like *ux updater).
Otherwise, the UI takes about a day to get used to. The minimize, maximize, and close buttons are on the left instead of the right, but most of the time you’ll end up using the keyboard shortcuts anyway, right? The dock is a much more elegant launcher than the start menu, and you can use either Spotlight or something like Quicksilver as an even quicker launcher if you like. (And Quicksilver will totally appeal to the engineer in you. It’s a lot of fun.)
One last piece of advice: if you’re planning on buying a laptop, I’d say buy a 13", or at worst a 15". Sure, those big screens call to you, but I’ve actually pulled a shoulder muscle carrying a 17". (And if you haven’t noticed from the Flickr pool, I’m not, erm, small.) I love my 13" MacBook for carrying 'round. I learned to make use of the small screen, and now I can take my laptop places I couldn’t before.
Anyway, hope this helps. Feel free to PM me if you have other questions as I did just make the transition – VMs and BS Vista pricing pushed me over – and believe it or not I’m actually not an Apple fanboy. Computers are like hammers – tools to be used.
I like whatever tool works best, though I enjoy a pretty hammer from time to time, too.
Could that come up as a discussion topic on Tool Talk? 
I don’t use my laptop for serious gaming, just stuff like Civ 4 or Age of Empires. I am usually playing something along those lines when I listen to the podcast.
If you keep the screen dim and don’t do crazy stuff like burning DVDs, most Mac laptops will deliver an Imperial s—load of battery life. My last-gen MacBook has given me 4-6 hours consistantly.
Battery life is always great if I take my laptop on the road. I have a Dell right now, and I’m lucky if I get 2.5 hours.
Because of the tight form-factors, Apples sometimes choke in high-performance situations. You can’t assume (like you can with most PCs) that if the OS’ll let you do it, it won’t cause hardware damage. If your Mac starts to sound like a jet engine at idle and is burning your leg, just go ahead and stop whatever you’re doing. Better yet, buy a slightly larger and more powerful model – or if you’re really going to compile code for three hours at a time, spring for a desktop.
When I go home, I usually use my laptop to watch DVDs as opposed to fighting someone for one of the tvs. I also use it to watch videos online. The laptop is kind of a must because I’m a college student, and it’s nice to take my computer with me when I go home or go to class.
One last piece of advice: if you’re planning on buying a laptop, I’d say buy a 13", or at worst a 15". Sure, those big screens call to you, but I’ve actually pulled a shoulder muscle carrying a 17". (And if you haven’t noticed from the Flickr pool, I’m not, erm, small.) I love my 13" MacBook for carrying 'round. I learned to make use of the small screen, and now I can take my laptop places I couldn’t before.
I have a 17" screen right now, and it’s nice when I’m watching video or playing games. Even for everyday functions I enjoy the large screen. I also don’t take my laptop to class on a regular basis, so size isn’t a huge deal for me.
I’ll probably be back with some specifics when I nail down what model I’m getting.
I got a first-gen MacBook Pro back in March of 2006, and between Mac and Linux I’m NEVER going back to Windows.
Do you consider yourself to be very computer-literate? If not, don’t let people scare you with talk of learning BSD and things like that… Most people rarely have to use the Mac Terminal (which is like Windows’ Command Prompt). If you’re familiar with the Windows command prompt, you should be savvy enough to learn to use the Terminal if you ever need to. Otherwise, like Windows you can accomplish most of what you need to using good-ol’ point-and-click.
If you’re pretty computer-literate though, you should have no trouble getting used to the change in user interface. If you ever get stumped on something, there’s always Google, or http://www.macosxhints.com/. There’s also a very large user community at macrumors.com that can be helpful if you have any questions.
I’ve been a mac fan since the start. Welcome to the pack! When I have issues/questions I go to Macworld.com or 43Folders.com
Also http://www.twit.tv/mbw (MacBreak Weekly) is a great source of information.
Hope this helps!
Well said, Chuck.
Yeah, don’t let what I said about BSD scare you, it’s nice to be able to drop into the terminal, but it’s very rarely actually needed. (And less so as they go along and refine the GUI.)
I’m not sure about the hard on hardware part. I’m pretty tough on my computers, and they hang on OK. (Then again, The GF is very gentle, and she’s borked more than I. Maybe they like it rough?)
The 17" Pros are just gorgeous. Great screen, and great sound (which is nice in a laptop.) I’m guessing that would be your ideal model. (Me, I like my carry-it-anywhere 12" that they phased out a couple years ago.)
I’d be careful to make sure the programs you need to use run on mac; ie CAD and that sort. don’t get me wrong I love mac, I think there build quality is about the best in the industry, and by golly you pay for that build quality through the nose and other body orifices.
As for the switch there are annoying things and things to learn, but the system does work much, much… better than windows. with a little patience. Its a much better and stable system. My advice if you can buy your mac at an Apple store do it and they’ll give you some help. besides so long as you’re buying it new no matter where you buy it it will be the same price.
just remember you’re paying about $700 more for the mac. so keep that in mind if its worth that much more to switch.
Made the switch two years ago and love my Mac. I use Office on it for Word and don’t have any problems. good luck, spend the $100 for the one -on- one training for a year, then they hold your hand whenever you ask.
Switching to Mac, eh? So you have embraced all things scented in patchouli and enjoy a good romp naked in tall wheat grass hugging trees and kissing hippies?
If so…Mac all the way, baby…now, leave me and my iPhone alone…it is totally different, seriously.
LOL Solai!!
Mac=the bomb diggity!
Once you go Mac, you’ll never go back!
(unless forced)
If I left windows, I’d probably just go straight to Linux. It’s not that bad-I used it for a while when I did web design work for my old college library. And the hardware is cheaper than for macs because it’s just PC hardware.
Linux has made great strides in usability over the past several years, with distributions like Ubuntu, OpenSUSE, gOS, PCLinuxOS, etc. I’ve been using Linux since about 1998 or '99, and I remember a time when only a total geek had any chance of successfully running a Linux desktop. Now you can get a laptop running Ubuntu from Dell, or one running SUSE Enterprise from HP. Not too shabby for a community-driven OS with very little corporate funding.