This blog is going to make my buddy Greg White very happy. When we were shopping for new computers a while back, and considering the Apple products, Greg told me that they are not as failsafe and perfect as many Apple owners would have you believe and we would have problems with them, too. Greg has forgotten more about computers than I will ever know, and I usually take his advice, but I had been fighting with Windows-based computers for years and really wanted a change. So about a year ago we bought a matched pair of iMacs.
The idea was that with two identical computers, Terry and I could switch over to the other person’s machine if necessary, if one had a problem. But that probably wouldn’t happen because Macs never have problems, right?
Overall, the iMac is an impressive machine and it has a lot going for it. However, there have been some frustrations, too.
Making the transition from a Windows-based computer to the Macintosh format wasn’t a problem at all. A lot of people seem to think there is going to be a major learning curve, but there really isn’t. Once you learn the basic commands, which just have different names from those on a Windows computer, it’s easy.
However, I have found a number of things that I can’t do on the iMac that I could on my old Dell computer. Some programs that I use a lot, such as Windows Live Writer to write my blog, don’t seem to have a corresponding Mac program. We use Stamps.com to print mailing labels with postage, and it’s another program that is not compatible with the iMac. The same with Microsoft Streets & Trips, which I use for most of my trip planning. So I still keep the old Dell running to access those programs when I need them.
And yes, Greg, iMacs break too. A few weeks ago my machine stopped reading the CD/DVD drive, and I had to take it back to the Apple Store in Mishawaka. They kept it overnight and when we went to pick up the next day it was fixed and running. Yesterday was the first day I needed to use the DC/DVD drive since then, since then, when I tried to burn some of our 7-in1 CDs. And the darn thing is broken again! I will call the Apple Store this morning, and hope they can do something to get it running again fast, because we are only going to be here a few more days.
And finally, about those two “identical” machines. Yes, Terry and I have identical machines, bought at the same time, with the same operating system, and yet things work differently on hers than they do on mine. If she wants to accomplish a certain task, she does such and such and it’s done. But when we try to do the same thing on my machine, it won’t work.
I’m not regretting buying the iMacs, but I am disappointed in them at times. For the money these things cost, I expect them to work, not to have to run them back to the store for the same problem a second time around. Right now I have the taste of sour apples in my mouth.
Today we should be mailing out the last of the new issue of the Gypsy Journal. That gives us about three days to do the rest of the things we have to get done before we leave for Celina. I think what we would really both like to do is just keep the curtains closed and vegetate for about 48 hours, but there’s no time for that.
Thought For The Day – Love that is not based upon friendship is like a house built upon sand.
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
Thanks for the info…helps in making decisions farther down the line. SO FAR hubby has been able to keep our Dells going…but I do think we get more problems due to virus, etc. perhaps.
Funny you should write about this Nick, because my iMac is in the shop right now with a bad CD/DVD drive for the third time! I bought it in August of last year too. Was there maybe a bad lot that got out?
I have never conceded to the “snooty Apple fiends.” Have used windows based systems for over a decade with no problems at all. Currently using a new Gateway with Windows 7 and couldn’t be happier. I suggest using Norton 360 and keeping it updated, and scan your cpu daily. Why spend thousands of dollars on a Rolls Royce, when a Kia will do just fine.
Hmmm, sounds like those DVD/CD drives may have been manufactured by Norcold…
Apple is abandoning CD/DVD drives in future products. Bev and I just purchased a couple of Macbook Pros (with Retina displays) and they came without the internal CD/DVD drives. So we picked up an external usb ‘superdrive’ for about 80 bucks. Now if that drive stops working I can get it looked at without having to bring the whole computer to the shop and maybe being without my computer for a few days while they work on it. It’s a better solution. Plus we only had to buy one between the two of us because we don’t use that drive that often so we just share it.
Hi Nick,
Stamps.com does work with the Mac. GO to their site and download the needed software. Also, if you need to run some legacy Windows program on your iMac, there are a couple of very good emulator programs that let you switch seamlessly between OS X and most recent and current versions of Windows. Here is one popular one but there are others: http://www.parallels.com. As far as the DVD drive is concerned, it must have been a bad batch. I’ve used Mac’s since 1984 and have never had a problem with a DVD/CD (or anything else for that matter!) The easy $80 solution has already been suggested by JC above. Goodluck!
Bob
Nick,
Are you conveniently forgetting about how, a while back, your Mac lost its mind and you had to reload the OS and everything else from scratch?
I’ve had to reload Windows before because of a bad hard drive, but never because of the computer itself.
Bad Mac. Bad.
We have identical Macintoshes (MacBook Pros) and they “behave” differently in some cases due to the configuration settings. We have used different Macintoshes for over ten years now, and I have never heard of the need to reload the OS due to a bad computer unless there was a hardware failure on the motherboard. If you have a problem with a specific application, we have found programs use what is known as a preference file in the system folder. By deleting the preference file and restarting the application usually “cures” the misbehaviors. We usually upgrade our Macs after 2-3 years and hand them down to the grandkids. Even the very first Macs we brought over 10 years ago are still going strong. In regards to the CD/DVD issue, you may want to ask Apple about the drive connectors. They may be loose and as you travel the vibrations/bumps could cause the connectors to slip breaking good signal contacts. They can secure using a product called Loctite.
– Jim