Why I will probably never switch to a mac

Also a Ventrilo Mac client is available, same as with TeamSpeak (TeamSpeex), but they both only support the speex codec.

There is something simular or exactly the same on a mac for everything you listed.

For example, you can use iChat for voice chat- even video chat... hell video chat with 5 people if you want- comes with the OS. Or you can use Skype.

Microsoft doc. files work just the same on a mac, and depending on who you ask the Microsoft Office version for a mac is more robust than the PC verison.

As you mentioned the screen reader is built right in, works like a charm, and does indeed support Firefox.

Spreadsheets? Slideshows? You can use MS Office Excel for spreadsheets or Apple's Pages app. Slideshows? There are so many ways to do slideshows right out of the box the hardest part would be deciding which you like better. Again, there is also MS Office Powerpoint.

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The thing that most Windows people get influenced into believing is that there is no software available for the mac. Sure, there is more on Windows but more does not mean better. The mac might only have 12,000 slideshow apps while Windows has 12 million but you only need one.

So here is what you do, FASTFINGE. You go out and spend $600 on a Mac Mini Core Single. That's still a pretty high price, but a lot less than the over $3,500 that the towers will probably go for when the new ones come out.

Or, you could get a Mac Mini G4 on eBay or some other place that sells used computers for probably about $300.

Play with it, see if it does what you need it to do. Then if it doesn't, your only out that small amount of money and you at least have a new computer that you can use for some stuff.

If it does work for you, you might be able to sell it on eBay. More importantly, you will know that it handles what you want and can then start planning on purchasing the more expensive systems.

It always blows me away that so many people make think the mac won't work with their files, you don't even need word to make a .doc file, let alone read it.

But this comment above all takes the cake, I can't live with the apple mouse. I just tell them the mouse I use on my mac is made by a Microsoft.

The built in TextEdit suprised me one day when it was able to open .doc files (made in Windows) that someone sent me. Also, when you go to System Preferences, there's Universal Access. VoiceOver (with shortcut key Command-F5) allows your Mac to highlight and read almost everything on screen.

Whatever works for you is most important. However, I do wish you would try a Mac... perhaps for a weekend and see what's in store for you.

I am pretty sure Apple has a couple day return policy on opened/used computers. I mean, they've got to give a grace period.

Anyways, as stated above, Mac will work with all of your existing files, documents, and will have ports or similiar applications for all of your applications. To transfer the files, you could use pretty much anything, Internet, USB, Cd, etc.

ACoolie: its a 30 day no questions asked policy

There you go. There's no reason not to try out a mac for 30 days.

First, like most who responded to you, I'm also a Mac user. However, I see two caveats to what my fellow Mac folk have stated.
i) the 30 day no questions asked policy does come with a 10% (I believe, someone from Apple retail can confirm this, or not) 'open box' charge. That being said, if you're near a retail store, you could explain your hesitations, and perhaps they'd wave the charge for you. Perhaps. Get the agreement up front though, get the name of the store manager, and go back to him/her for assistance if you do need to return the Mac.
ii) When you say you have notes saved in a Windows application that is no longer developed, and that the formatting *must* be preserved, that is a real issue. Almost certainly that would have to be 'redone' on the Mac, and reformatted, which would likely be a lot of work.

Still, it's possible you'll have to do that anyway if/when you'd need to move to Vista.

Your choice, of course, but an option would be to have a Mac running alongside your windows machine. Many people do this, and the Mini is pretty inexpensive. If you had a KVM switch, you could even stay with your current monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

Just a thought.

Fastfinge, I completely understand why you find it difficult to switch to a Mac. In fact I dare say don't "switch" at all or until your ready. Instead, echoing my fellow NewsViners, just give it a try along side your Window's machines.

I was in a similar boat not long ago. I have invested a large amount of time and money into the evil empire's operating system, aka Windows. Learning to script, buying numerous applications, building an entire infrastructure on Microsoft from the media center server to the Xbox 360 in the living room. There was no tipping point for me to switch. I haven't had a virus in years and spyware is quickly becoming a thing of the past with the right browser and third party apps. I don't care that Vista is slipping and personally a slick GUI is just that, a slick GUI. So why did I bring a Mac into my home? Curiosity, plain and simple. I have a background in Unix and fell in love with the iLife apps. Once I bought a Mac I soon discovered something. It was fun finding new applications and learning something new again. Sure there were growing pains, but honestly for me it was exciting. So before this gets away from me, saddle up a mini next to the Dell and have fun. You never know, you might just SWITCH.

Did you actually ask the people at an Apple store those questions? I'm pretty sure they could have answered all of them. Also you can run Windows side by side with OS X on a new Intel based Mac, so you really lose nothing.

Some people just aren't meant to switch -- and you meet the requirements for one of those people. If you have too much tied up in Windows, why switch? It isn't Apple's fault you use an unsupported undeveloped application and require everything to be perfect after the switch. :D

I don't really see the need for this article, as it doesn't reflect an "average computer user's" situation before they are ready to switch.

Part of your problem was not using open standards to begin with. What are you going to do if your notes program suddenly doesn't work in Vista anymore? Your best bet is to start by finding open solutions and open file formats to get your personal data that your not sharing with the world into. If they are simply notes or something to that effect spend some times moving them prehaps to an HTML format?

As for interacting with the outside world both Open Office and if you wish to purchase it MS Office are available for the mac.

Vintrillo AFAIK has a client, however given how popular AIM is in the windows world just use iChat which comes with the operating system and allows you to do excellent voice chat over AIM.

Screen reader works great, and you should have no problems with your browser.

You might run into problems syncing with the pocket pc (honestly don't use one so can't say accuractly).

There is nothing wrong with Windows - if you want to run it that's fine, you just need to know the limits and the problems you may face. Switching to mac doesn't mean you go out and burn all other PC's you own.. run both.

Heck Apple has Virtual PC software that lets you run windows INSIDE mac os - for the few things you need you could likely use that just fine.

You can also run Windows on the new Intel Macs now with a little bit of hacking...

and depending on who you ask the Microsoft Office version for a mac is more robust than the PC verison.

Ask any student who's had to take notes in class, they'll tell you Mac Office > Win Office.

I'm confused. Reading the article, I see that you have compelling reasons not to switch to a Mac. What I don't see are any compelling reasons to switch.

So why are you even asking?

Time will allow all things to come to a head. Prices will come down as market penetration is established, application's are built where demand is needed, and you will eventually do a reinstall of some system. With that in mind you will eventually have at your disposal the means to at least trial out a new machine and see if you are adaptable (which if you are human you are adaptable), and that will give you the chance you need to either find a new rooting or to say with good finality that your self fufilling prophecy was true.

As a Mac hater for many years, a linux purist for many years, I am now back to being fully entrenched in the OS X world and the only reason I keep a PC around is for gaming. Anyone who draws their line in the sand early should know that tides & time will wash them away.

Today might not be your day depending, but tomorrow is not guarenteed. Just keep an open mind and experiment when you can.

-a

I am a big fan of the Mac. I have never been tempted by Windows, though I was thinking of switching to Linux just before OSX came out. Now with OSX, the free development environment, Xcode available from developer.apple.com, along with Fink and the Darwin Project provide most of what I wanted from the Unix world within OS X. For a variety of reasons, largely influenced by market share, Windows does have a lead in some specialized software. If you are blind and need a screen reading program you will probably want Jaws. The program is more expensive than the equipment you run it on, check is out at - similarly if all you use is Excel there is really no need to get a Mac. That said, with a Mac you get a whole lot more for free with the operating system, that you would have to boot into an alternative OS with Windows or couldn't get at all because Apple can keep innovating. Windows seems limited by their policy of support so much legacy code and having too many versions of their OS. Given the current price of computers you can have two; get a compatible kvm switch and MacMini and a Municator.

If the software from TRanglos is their Keynote application, then it supports an export function to either plain text or Rich Text Format. Maybe you aren't stuck with it after all?

Why throw out your PC? If you are keeping it to run a few apps that are not made anymore and will not be updated with new Windows releases you are in the same boat whether you remain on a PC or make a move to a mac. Meaning, the future of your computing is limited only because your hanging on the old things.

If that is the case- keep that PC running that you already use for those apps - buy a mac - and remote into the PC. I have a PC sitting in a closet I use mainly for server set up and web testing. I remote into whenever I need it and share files from it, otherwise I am always on my mac.

Buy a Mac Mini, if you don't like it you can sell in on eBay. They hold their value very well.

I suggest you call Leo Laporte, I'm sure he'd love to help you!

I switched to Mac last year and love it. I'm not blind though so I couldn't comment on your specific needs. Don't be put off by software though, it's not true to think that Mac's don't have all the apps that Windows have. There are 1000s of apps for Mac OS.

in my former life before architecture school, i was an IT manager at a large european electronics manufacturer. one of my pet projects was to see if we could replace the TWO computers that many engineers had on their desks (unix and windows) with a single computer. all of the productivity issues were solvable with very little change on the part of the engineers and the one thing that help up the project was waiting for the porting of a highly specialized design application. the project was very successful right up until the bottom fell out of the semiconductor market in 2003 and we closed most of our engineering facilities in the us.

i have not used a windows pc since. the only times i even touch one is to help a colleague fix some catastrophe.

you can leave the hotel california and i can say with a high degree of confidence, that you will not want to look back.

I don't understand why you would switch. You have all the functionality you need with Windows. Like you said it is something you grew up with so you know your way around it fairly well. Plus you have already built an infrastructure with it. I don't see why you would want to switch. The only reason I can think of is security concerns but if you set up your computer right then that is no big deal. XP is a stable OS so that is no problem. It would just seem kind of dumb to redo everything for the sake of owning a Mac.

I`ll just never buy a Mac because you can`t play any decent games on them. They are pretty though.