Switching From Windows to Mac - Comments Page 2

For you two button mouse fans, most Macs now come with the "Mighty Mouse" which has left and right buttons, side buttons, and a scrolling ball which scrolls up and down plus left and right. You can customize what the buttons do (or not do) using the "System Preferences" "Keyboard & Mouse" settings. If you get a MacBook, you can use the old two button mouse from your PC; just plug it into a USB port.
Right click will do the same as Command-click, which is very similar to the Windows right-click.

From a pc / windows user of over 30 years - now a happy Mac owner.

There are business users of computers (PC) and artistic users (Mac), but there is a third category - scientists and technicians who want to use a computer for data logging and process control. As a former PC and current Mac user I would like to know if anyone is using a Mac for such purposes, or whether I have to keep a separate system

Bought a MacBook Pro 45 days ago.. after my frustration with Windows based PCs over the last 3 years. I had to install Parallels/XP Pro/Office 2007 for MS Exchange and Office. I am a business user. Have been using Windows for 22 years.

Mac Positives

1. Stable machine. Just love the fact that I have not re-booted the machine, even once .. in the last 45 days. Even Windows under parallels has not crashed!! Must be something about MAC's approach to handling peripherals.

2. Connecting with peripherals. The machine automatically (without installing drivers and all the associated crap) recognized and added printers to my list.. WOW. Who woulda thunk of that.

the Big Mac negative (for windows users and for high-volume business users).

1. The Keyboard on Macbook Pro ..well, let me say this as gently as I can.. SUCKS! It is clearly not ready for high-volume, business use. There is no tactile feedback, the keys are in a depressed "well" which means the wrist has to be typing into a depression as opposed to in a raised manner - I started getting carpal tunnel like pain after 2 hours of use. Why are there no single-stroke Page Up, Page Down, Home and End keys. Also, the outer edge of the keyboard surface area where one's arm rests is SHARP rather than a chiseled curve. This SHARP edge continuously rubs against the arm and can be very very uncomfortable for long typing sessions..as it starts creating a cut on the wrist. I think in this aspect (with a sexy looking "unibody design") Apple has taken a step backwards.. it is clearly a triumph of style over substance.

Frankly, I love the Mac..the stability, the UI, the apps.. and want to work on it.. but not with such a keyboard .. it is simply painful and unproductive. Give me a Thinkpad Keyboard on a Macbook and I have my NIRVANA machine.

Unfortunately, my loss of productivity on Mac is dramatic due to this one reason and it does not overcome my loss of productivity due to "constant re-booting and crashing windows machine". I have regrettably decided to give my 9 year old the Mac machine and have ordered my new Thinkpad. Hope Mac can do something about this 1 big negative...which I tried to work around for 30 days but just couldnt.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Why not plug your favorite keyboard into the USB slot of the MacBook?

how to do it From Windows to Mac
i just wanted to convert my windows desktop to mac pls can u guide me how to do it?

Have a mac book pro now for 6 months, have been a PC user since windows 3.1 was released. I use my laptop very heavily for work.

Advantages: Looks, reliability, no freezing (Only occasionally, and dont require reboot) I love the new two finger tap on the mouse for right click features. The button us useless, one finger tap, and two finger tap does it all right on the pad. Lighted keyboard, magnet power cord (I have had to get many PC laptops repaired by tripping on power cord)

Downfalls: I have been using 17" laptops for a bit, with a number pad and full size keyboard built into the PC laptops.... Well, this dinky little keyboard has caused extreme slow down in data entry and number entry. They took the tiny little keyboard from there smallest mac laptop and placed it up to the bottom of the monitor on my 17" mac pro, with like 6 inches from the edge of the laptop to the beginning of the keyboard! How extremely difficult to type! I guess most mac users either use a mouse and just click all the time, or peck at the keys, they cant really type much. And dont most business users use excel? Dont even try a excel workbook on a mac, the office for mac does not support macros!!!! ??? What? Ummm, most corporations use macros for updating workbooks automatically to cut down on data entry. MAJOR issue. Then there is the fact that I have to do wiring diagrams, the two companies I do work for use Autodesk products..... Not mac supported. And, you cant turn off the touchpad mouse no matter how bad you want to. Ever done a cad on a touchpad? HA HA, or how about working on an excel workbook with a touch pad you cant disable, and your typing, and bam, your 2000 cells away from where you started. Also, their wireless cards suck, and thats being nice. You have to turn it off and on constantly because your connection will get so slow youll think your on dial up. Turn it off, then back on, and your up to speed again for a while. I talked to two different friends that travel like I do from wap to wap all the time and they have the same problem so I know its not just mine.

So, tiny keyboard, no number pad, no way to disable touch pad, and not excel macro compatible........
Otherwise, I love it! Unfortunately it has extremely slowed down my productivity and causes me to do a lot of deleting and retyping. Im 6 months into it, and trying to make it work for me.
But really, carrying a seperate keyboard, mouse, and using boot camp in order to use excel macros and autodesk programs, kind of all defeats all the "nice" parts of switching to a mac and eliminates the portable part of having a laptop.

Did I mention I dont have to reboot once a day anymore? Did I say I didnt have to wait on constant freezing, and no more opening task manager to close unresponsive aps?
Its got its good points, unfortunately, they still have left business users out in the cold a little on productivity.

Awsome i was in a apple store today and i will say apple computers are true genius when it comes to making hardware. making an operating system i beg to differ i have used os x 10.5. i went to college for accounting and you kno windows in the platform for business, so when i decided to take web design an the lab they put me in was all macs i was like woa wtf? funny enough the first comment the profesor had was y did they put us in that room he wanted the lab with the windows machine. ne way 4 3 months 2 weeks i was using a mac an even though i was in college i didnt have a laptop so i was using os x so yea i learned a few things on the platform one thing i did love was it was a really cool lookin interface. but that was as far as it went the mac i was using was buggy it could have been my doing as i will argue 0 out of 10 computer problems are created by the user no matter what ever platform your on.

for me the os x inter face in ugly and just like microsoft apple needs to get an idea and make the whole theme thing be customizable so you can put what u want ( i kno windows xp and vista are customize able, but take into consideration an average user probably wud have problems doin it)well also the apple evviron ment is more of a single task environmetn not for me an i will say this windows - business apple-art not true to be productive u need a brain to be a good designer u need imaginaton not windows or os x they are your tools to work im not a faggy fan boy im just saying if i could make heads or tales of os x i might think to switch i just like windows dosnt give me the problems i hear other people talking about. but its up to each user to choose what they want. and if dell and hp get a clue and start makin better looking hardware i might never switch.

Kev: Just out of curiosity.... Do they teach people how to spell in english at that college you attended?
Either way I have been using OS X for a few weeks and although I have only recently converted from windows, I can already see that much thought (as far as functionality goes) was put into apple's design of the operating system. The smooth transitions, well thought out layout and the stability all lead me to finally see what I hadn't in 13 years of using windows.... Microsoft has been selling me a "Hasty" thrown together system.

I love my PC . No Mac for this kid . Don't want one , never have and never will.

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in which case, Bob, son, you slipped up when you permitted 'Kev's comment to be posted unreviewed!

Such slips up are ranklin' and could play havoc with your rankin', Bobby.

Please be more careful next time.

Bob,
Back when I was programming automated n/c machines in the aircraft industry the mac users loved their mac, but they cost more. Sounds like things have evened up.
My concern is my youngest daughter is transferring from our community college over to U of Montana. She wants to switch to Mac. Am I to understand she will have No problems other than user transition. No compatibility problems in classes but will have to purchase Office software for word, excel and power-point presentations, etc. Is there anything you think she needs to be aware of? She specifically mentioned wanting MacBook Air? Thanks for any Info - TW

EDITOR'S NOTE: Aside from the learning curve of switching from PC to Mac, the only other consideration is any PC-based software she uses will need a Mac equivalent. Any web-based apps should work the same.