A Cry For Help: I'm finally buying a Mac

Well,it was inevitable that I would finally cave.

I don't know what it is about me, but I think I might be at least part Amish because I tend to resist technological advancement until I'm dragged up to speed by caring and super tech savvy friends and relatives.

Actually the final straw in my decision to get a Mac was these commercials. I am not impressed by pretty colors and design--I just want the computer that works the best, and after these commercials have pummeled my psyche for the past year or so, and after almost all the tech gods and goddesses I know have switched to Macs, I've finally decided to take the plunge to.

I'm exhilarated and overwhelmed at the same time, because I have no idea what kind to get. I don't know anything about any types of Macs, and of course the online Apple store is "doing updates" so no info is available there.

So, I thought I'd ask y'all to share your collective wisdom with me--

• For those of you who have desktop Macs (I'm getting a desktop), which have you found to be the best?
• Do you use an iMac or a Mac Pro? What's the diff in the ways those two function? I'm assuming that the MacPro is beefier in some way because it costs more.

Here's the deal with me: My life and my biz is on the computer. I work all day on the computer doing all sorts of stuff, and in my imagination I think I require the max that any computer can provide. I have no idea what this means as far as the type of Mac I should get, and I admit that I may be delusional to think that I need the "mac daddy" of Macs .

I've done some initial research on the interwebs, and the stuff I see scares me cuz I have no idea what the "Mac Buying Guides" are talking about because they don't give you reviews of the computers, they tell you all about the updates and such and when to buy, and this is not the info I need.

So, this is a cry for help. Mac enthusiasts, please come forward and share your wisdom.

Your assistance and advice is appreciated.

Comments

[David Krug]

This one is simple to me. If you are just starting out get an imac. It will do everything you need it to. And a few things that will rock your world.

[Chris Cree]

Sharon, I bought my first Mac and took delivery about 2-1/2 weeks ago. Got a Mac Mini with the 23" screen and wireless keyboard/mouse set. Couldn't be happier and I can't imagine going back to a PC either.

I do lots of web site building, blogging, and blog build outs and the Mini seems to be more than enough computer for my needs at this point. I'm guessing the iMac would be quite sufficient unless you were into some extremely high end graphic stuff.

You can check out my first impressions here: http://successcreeations.com/category/mac/

Hope that helps some.

[Alan Bradford]

Sharon,

Congrats on the decision and a hearty 'welcome aboard' to you and yours. I've been a Mac Geek for a couple of years now, and haven't looked back either. I've got a PowerBook laptop (now called the MacBook or MacBook Pro), and a 17" iMac for home.

You picked a good day to make the decision to switch. They just released new versions of the iMac that look pretty neat.

I agree with David that an iMac would be an excellent starting point for you. The commercials don't really exaggerate. It's fun out of the box. As far as software goes, Microsoft Office is compatible, and Adobe just released their CS3 package that works wonders with these new Intel-chip Macs.

Because they are so loaded to begin with, I don't know if you'll need to upgrade any of the contents, unless you need more RAM or a bigger hard drive.

If all else fails, you can always load (gag) Windows XP or (double gag) Windows Vista on your Mac. You'll convert to Mac OS soon though. There's a slight learning curve, but trust me - it's worth it.

[KG]

I'm an old-school Mac aficionado from way back, so I KNOW YOU WILL LOVE WHATEVER MAC YOU GET!

While there is a learning curve with switching to any new operating system, you will easily get used to the Mac's OSX. It is incredibly user friendly.

I don't think you should install Vista or any other Microsoft OS on the Mac. Keep it Mac OSX only. You will experiences less computer crashes, less application quits, and just less trouble all around.

Plus, the Mac OS is so visually beautiful and intuitive, you'll pick it up in a flash and will probably soon be saying, "Windows WHO?!?!?" ;)

Enjoy, Sharon!

[Simone]

My take:

iMac is the best choice for a smooth shift to Mac (it's just been updated and it will deliver that magical apple coolness), but a Mac Mini is a more financially savvy decision (you can cheaply upgrade the CPU and still keep the monitor, and the coolness factor is 90% still there).

Only suggestion: to avoid the hassle of replacing the OS when Leopard (Mac OS X 10.5) comes out, it would be wise to wait till october and get a new Mac with the new OS out of the box. Replacing the OS is not a big deal but you still have to do it and you'll have to shed some more money.

[Sharon Sarmiento]

All of you, THANK YOU! You have been immensely helpful and because of your help I was able to choose my first Mac in a relatively painless fashion.

A special thanks to David Krug who exhibited infinite patience as he answered exactly 1.7 gazillion of my questions in real time as I was getting up the nerve to make the purchase.

Oh, and what did I decide on, you ask?

I got the iMac (24 inch baby!) plus the AirPort Extreme to assist me with my routing needs.

It should be here soon, and I can't believe this is happening so fast. Somebody pinch me! :-)

[David Krug]

Let me know when it arrives :)

[Sharon Sarmiento]

Oh, I will! Thanks again for all your help, D. You're the best :-).

[maryam in marrakech]

Sharon, I bought a macbook pro YESTERDAY. eeek, no idea how to use it but hoping it will help me tap into my inner creativity.

[Sharon Sarmiento]

Maryam, you will LOVE your macbook. I am LOVING my iMac. Macs are just different from PCs, and it does make me feel more creative!

I'm going to write up a post about how to transition from a Mac to a PC...coming soon!