First of all, I want to thank everybody who e-mailed and left comments on Facebook about my fall the other night. My wrist, arm, and shoulder really ached all Saturday and much of yesterday, but by late evening most of the swelling had gone down and it didn’t hurt much at all.
Yesterday, we spent a couple of hours at the Apple store at the mall in Mishawaka, checking out iMac computers. I have to tell you, I am very impressed with the machines, and even more so with the young man who spent a lot of time with us, patiently explaining a lot of things to us in terms we could understand, instead of the techno-speak we always seem to get from so many of the kids working at the different computer stores we have visited.
Like I said, I’m very impressed with what we saw in the iMacs, and I am really teetering in making a decision. If they just weren’t so darned expensive!
From the mall, we went across the street to Best Buy to see what they had in a PC comparable to the Mac. We lucked out and got another young man who really knew his products, and also spent a lot of time with us. I was not aware that Best Buy also sells Apple products, and they actually had the same iMac we had seen across the street, and for $100 less than the Apple store. Go figure.
We went in wanting to see what we could find in a PC platform, but this fellow was also a Mac fan, and while he was happy to show us what they had in PC based machines, he also gave us a lot more to think about, in favor of the Mac.
I know that we can use a program like Parallel to run our Windows based programs on a Mac, or buy the same programs in Mac version. However, even if we stay with a PC, I am not sure if some of the software can be loaded onto a new machine, or if they will want me to buy a newer version. I plan to make some phone calls today to learn more about that.
If you have read this blog for very long, you know that I am a big fan of Sea Eagle kayaks, and of Tim and Crystal Ryerson, owners of Inflatable Boats 4 Less. They are really dedicated to their customers, and they have gone the extra mile several times for me.
Yesterday, I got an e-mail from Tim, offering to donate a Sea Eagle 370 Sport kayak as a door prize for our Ohio Rally next month in Celina. What a generous offer! Just think, if you are coming to the rally, you may be the lucky winner! Have you registered yet?
Terry and I are celebrating an anniversary of sorts today. Two years ago today, we were moving into our Winnebago Ultimate Advantage from our old MCI bus conversion. We have not regretted the move for one minute, and as much as we loved that old bus, you would need dynamite to get us out of our Winnebago!
Thought For The Day – Rules are made for people who aren’t willing to make up their own.
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Click Here To Register For The Geeks On Tour Computer Boot Camp Before Our Ohio Rally
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
Nick…In order to run Parallels, you will need a full version of Windows. I tried to install the version that came with my Dell and it wouldn’t work. I’ll probably buy one on Ebay.
Nick, Take the premium cost of the Mac vs. the PC (probably a couple hundred dollars for a comparable “apples to apples” model – could not resist that one!) and divide it by 1,460 (365 days X 4 years) and see if the daily cost is worth the luxury, pleasure and easy of use the Mac will provide. I think you’ll find the daily cost is about the same as a piece of chewing gum. Besides, the Mac is likely to last longer for you than the PC. I’m still using a five year old Mac Book Pro and can’t think of any reason to get a newer model. It still works as well as it did the day I bought it and all the current software runs just fine.
Welcome to the Light!
Nick, we are glad to hear that your arm is doing better, meant to ask about it yesterday but as you know my mind was not thinking clearly.
Nick:
Listen to Greg White. If your current laptop is Vista then you will not have any compatibility problems going to Windows 7. If it is XP then you will have lots of issues. Some of your old hardware like scanners and printers may not have a driver update. Now if you choose to go the Apple route then there will be driver issues and program issues. Don’t forget that you will also have compatibility issues with Terry’s laptop and any other PC that you may have. The PC emulation programs for Apple apparently work but you have to bounce back and forth between Apple and PC and some features will not work completely. It is a hybrid and you will feel it as you work. I’m sure that you realize that Apple is now using PC hardware so their touted long life may not be that much different from a PC. I realize that you are a gadget hound and will choose the Apple but you have been warned that there will be some “issues” in moving data and programs to the Apple and in learning new programs. Good luck!
Desk top or laptop….. IMHO my vote would be neither. Get the mini-Mac and a large monitor for aging eyes. For those times you may need portability, also get the MacBook Thin — or whatever it is called. Make that a non-glare monitor. Depending on TV viewing habits, the monitor could do double duty.
For backups, Time Machine cannot be beat. Also great when you want to upgrade to the next Apple. Just restore from the latest backup on Time Machine.
In the end, it is just a tool. So get the best tool available.
I am biased since I’m an apple fan girl, but apple tech stands the test of time. I have an old iBook G4 that is still going strong. Bought it in 2004. I have a Dell from around that time that can no longer function properly… I’ve worked on it tirelessly for days at a time. The mac? Not once. There are many pros and cons of each side, and mostly its a very personal decision, but I think you would like switching!
I agree that Time Machine is wonderful! When my comics say it is Sunday, I plug this pocket sized gadget into my computer and it does it’s thing. Later I eject it and I am done with my weekly backup. It then gets stored in our bugout bag. Perfect!
I couldn’t help but weigh in on this debate.
1. At my office we run a 100% mac shop without any issues dealing with the “outside” world. We only need tech support one day a week (40 workstations) and do run “window” using VMWare. I can toggle between the two operating systems with no problem and have not found any issues for those times that I need “windows”.
2. I concur on the long term durability of the mac over the windows units. We have outside sales reps that use laptops and those get pretty beat up. I have laptops in play at home that are 5+ years old and they are still going strong.
3. Time Machine… Without a doubt. This is a great tool and well worth the ~$399 cost. You can’t have enough back ups. Especially when you business is data driven.
4. Lastly, the Mac Mini with the large monitor is the way to go for the RV. It is on my list of upgrades to our RV, after I put in a desk from Focal in Elkhart….
Why do you want to waste your money on any new computer? Who cares how long it takes to put the paper together and get online. You’re retired and have all the time in the world. Relax and keep what you have been using. Save your bucks.
Jim,
I’m afraid that you are misinformed. We are not retired, we are working RVers. Our office just happens to be in our motorhome instead of in a building somewhere. So we don’t have all the time in the world. I spend, on average, 6 to 8 hours a day, and often more, working at the computer. It is a tool I use to accomplish my job.
Having moved to the Mac platform some years ago, I can say without hesitation, I will never go back!! Too many problems and hassles with Windows that you simply will not have with a Mac. Why do you suppose there are all those Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technicians (MCDST)? Why doesn’t Apple have the equivalent? Simple answer, they aren’t needed! And, the hardware is superb.
Well said, Nick!
For what it is worth, my son, who earns his living with a computer, swears by his Mac (while his dad sometimes swears at his PC). Since it is your livelyhood, go with the best. For desktop publishing, the consensus on best is Mac.
Whatever you choose, I hope it works out well for you.
In the meantime, while you are maundering over PC’s, we are sitting in an isolated campground in eastern NY, waiting for the thruway to reopen.
Cheers!
I believe the mac will give you the best service for your needs. Remember that using boot camp (instead of Parallels) you can actually boot into any version of windows that you own. Thus your Mac will look and feel like a standard Windows machine. With a simple reboot the machine returns to being a Mac. Boot Camp is free, unlike Parallels.
To keep the cost of the Mac down, be sure to look on the Apple store website for refurbs (on the lower left of the page). Apple never really discounts, but it does sell off old and not so old models via the refurb page. These computers are just like new and offer a full warranty – I have purchased at least 6 over the years and have been very satisfied each time.
kw
Great blog! My most recent post was about my transition from PC to Mac. http://mills-travels.blogspot.com.
Whether you go Mac or PC, you will have a transition and a learning curve for a new OS / operations. My friend opted for Mac, I went to Win 7 64 bit Pro. But just one weak link in either platform is the hard drive. The smaller laptop sized drives fail earlier than larger desktop drives. Thus, I try to clone my hard drives between 2 and 3 yrs. Perhaps it’s overkill but not in my mind – while you can back up your critical data weekly, if you don’t have a perfect clone of the hard drive in your machine, you will be spending a lot of time to recover.
For what Nick does, I agree that the Mac may be the better choice. Be sure you can answer the question – “who’s your tech support ?” My family calls me for PC help and if they were on a Mac, I’d have to decline.
Finally, it’s interesting to compare the “lifespan” of the various electronic devices such as tablets and MP3 players. Is it reasonable to expect 6 or 8 yrs out of a laptop when a cell phone lasts maybe 2 yrs, and the tablets / MP3 players with fixed batteries may not make it past 3 yrs ? Personally, I think 4 years on a laptop is reasonable. There’s enough technology improvements to make the jump. Given how much we use them, buy the best model that suits your needs.