The Great Mac vs. Windows Debate

[Hemingway Jones]

How do you open the Windows Media Stuff and can I do it on my iPhone?

Oh, I am a firm MAC guy, but I dress more like "PC!"

 

[Zemke Fan]

I've just about HAD IT with MS-Windows...

Had a PC since 1982 when I bought a Compaq *sewing machine* luggable for $5000 + another $500 for a second 5 inch floppy drive. Now, with an XP machine that keeps freezing on me and Vista not a viable option (from everyone I talk to), I am VERY seriously considering switching. One thing I would bet, however, Scot is that my VERY complicated MS-Word documents (I do a lot of quasi-desktop-publishing in Word) will not have their formatting adequately preserved.

 

[pgoat]

Here's the thing you may be missing:

Scenario A- Bob sends you a Microsoft Word document via email. Without having MS Office on your new iMac (as long as you have the $70 iWork suite), you can open that MS Word doc seamlessly. Just double click it. No need for Office or MS Word software.

Scenario B - You create a brand new document using Apples iWork suite, and need to send it to Bob so HE can open it with MS Word. No problem. In the file menu you will chose export --> Word. Then you have an MS Word version of your document, which you then send to Bob. He gets it, and opens it with Word by just double clicking it. You don't have to tell him anything extra, or even let him know you don't have Word.
Same goes for Excel or Powerpoint files. File ---> Export, done.

See? Buying Office is a redundant waste of money, as you can seamlessly open and read MS files, and edit and them and change them and send them as MS files, without ever opening a bit of MS software.

I can also tell you an easy way to eliminate having to ever use Windows Media Player to open media player files. You won't need to have a stitch of MS software, if you choose not to.

ahh....I did get iWork on it. I wasn't so clear on Scenerio B. I'm still wondering about things like Access, Power Point and Publisher, that certain places are married to.

I'd definitely be interested in that Media Player thing. Thanks!

 

[Feraud]

Now, with an XP machine that keeps freezing on me and Vista not a viable option (from everyone I talk to), I am VERY seriously considering switching.

Vista is the pits.
Microsoft too something as straightforward as "File : Save" and moved it.... someplace else. You will eventually find it but why move it to begin with?

 

[scotrace]

Ditch Media Player.

All yu gotta do is flip4mac.

All such files are automatically ported to Quicktime. (no need to fuss. Install Flip4Mac and from there on out QT is the default.)

 

[Matt Deckard]

Some companies that are Mac Based... at least the last time I walked into them.

New York Times uses Macs
New York Sun
Paramount pictures
Jet Propulsion Laboratories
NASA
Cal-Tech

So more of the public is using PC, though if you watch the news you see a lot of Mac LapTops in the hands of he media as well... I'm watching CNBC right now and all they have are Macs on that desk.

Now being a longtime PC user I've found the switch I made last year to Mac extremely simple. There isn't much of a difference and the whole system seems a little more plug and play than the PC it replaced. Just plug stuff in and it works, no downloading anything. I have word on here and edit with Adobe. I trust the mac over the PC and for the same reason I see it on those desks... Nearly no viruses and it works the same as the PC.

 

[pgoat]

Dumb question time....

Ok - our baby finally arrived! It's big, bold and beautiful....and we are going nusty trying to hook up our internet access....[huh]

We have a cable modem that we have been using with our old PC- we attached it to the new iMac and are trying to go through the set-up process but to no avail. It is detecting the cable connection but is not allowing us to connect. Any words of wisdom on what we should be doing?

 

[Samsa]

Ok - our baby finally arrived! It's big, bold and beautiful....and we are going nusty trying to hook up our internet access....[huh]

We have a cable modem that we have been using with our old PC- we attached it to the new iMac and are trying to go through the set-up process but to no avail. It is detecting the cable connection but is not allowing us to connect. Any words of wisdom on what we should be doing?

Are you just trying for a wired connection, i.e. cable modem hooked directly to the computer? Or do you have a router in the mix?

If you are just going for a direct connection, I would try: turning the modem off and unplugging the power source. Shutting the computer down. With the modem still connected, plug it back in, turn it on, etc. When it's finished rebooting itself, then turn on the computer. Give it a few minutes to detect the modem, then try again.

I'm less certain as to what you should do if you're running your connection through a router - I only have experience doing that with a PC.

 

[pgoat]

we are gonna get a router for use of the two machines but for now were just trying to get a connection on the mac with the cable.

I am thinking it might be less headache to just get the Airport or whatever router and set it up once.....

The thing that was confusing us is the DCHP/PoPpp3 BLAHDY BLAH BLAH. At some points we were getting instructions from the mac to 'turn the device off and restart' - assuming this means - as you suggested - to restart the modem? Ours does not appear to have a reset switch, so are we to simply unplug and then plug it back in?

 

[pgoat]

Ok, I went to Tekserve (Local Mac store) at lunch time. I am staying away from the lynksys router after hearing a few iffy things about reliability.

The very nice person at Tekserve recommended a D-Link router ($50 http://www.dlink.com/products/?sec=0&pid=562) with the idea that they actually provide support for Mac users. I was all set to pull out the plastic and be done with it, but I remembered to ask about external hard drives (I am still concerned whether better to lay out a little extra bread and get a 1.5 TB external HD to back up the 1TB iMac, or whether a 1 TB external will suffice until we get to 75% or over capacity on the computer. I should mention we have a 300 GB external we can daisy chain into the back of another 1TB HD)

The guy then recommended the new Time Capsule ( http://www.apple.com/timecapsule/specs.html - available Friday the 15th) - both as an external for backups and a wireless/wired router, so we'd be covered on all fronts for the old PC now and any newer workstations or laptops we may buy in future (Dunno if we'll be buying a laptop but we may try starting a small business in the next few years, at which point the wireless would be nice.).

Only problem is the Time Capsule is $499 (vs. $50 for the D link router + $350ish minimum for the typical 1 - 1.5 TB external we are looking at.). Also the D-Link has dual firewall security; not sure if that is negated by better security overall for the Apple hardware? I have to say despite these two caveats, it's looking like a good deal to me with less footprint to boot.


Any thoughts?

 

[pgoat]

MAC UPDATE.....

Still waiting on Time Capsule delivery to the local shop.

meanwhile we swapped in the additional memory (now up to the max of 4 GB RAM - thanks Salv & scotrace - that procedure was a BREEZE! ), and the wife spent the better part of the three-day weekend transferring various camcorder recordings of family functions, using iMovie to make surprisingly impressive (for a first time Mac owner using proprietary novice software) DVDs as gifts for friends and family.

Even though we still don't have internet on the Mac (we left it on the old machine till we install Time capsule, which is fine for us) she LOVES the new machine!

I had a brief scare when the first CD I inserted would not eject . I finally got it out after rebooting......No BIG deal, but those are the kinds of things I feel less stressed about with a separate tower, where you can isolate the optical drive and other components as needed.:eusa_doh:

 

[scotrace]

So you now have 2G of unused ram sticks?

 

[pgoat]

So you now have 2G of unused ram sticks?

yup....I was actually wondering if that is a possible sell on ebay? I doubt we'll ever need them.....

 

[scotrace]

Absolutely! You should realize $90 -120 or so. I would buy it myself but your is DDR2 and I need DDR.

 

[pgoat]

Thanks Scott!

Now, if only this wasn't 'boycott ebay' week!

 

[pgoat]

Dumb question about twisted pair Ethernet cables -

I am not sure whether we are going to use the wireless option for the new iMac once we get a Time capsule for routing to both machines - we would obviously have to use a cable for the old PC.

my question:

Our Toshiba cable modem specs say it can use either a 10baseT or 100baseT cable (It currently has a 10baseT running to our old PC).

When we buy short connector cables to connect the Time Capsule to either the PC or iMac, do we buy the same type (10baseT)? or can we go up to 100, and will this make a difference in connectivity?

I wasn't sure if it mattered whether we changed the 10baseT cable currently running from the modem to the NIC Ethernet card in the old PC, whether the mac can handle something faster (or maybe needs something different altogether), and whether the Time Capsule itself has specific needs (I don't believe it comes with any cables).

 

[Salv]

Can I just confirm how you'll be setting things up again - as I understand it you'll be:

1. Connecting the Time Capsule to your cable modem and using the TC as a backup drive and router/wifi base station;

2. Connecting the old PC to the TC via Ethernet cable; and

3. connecting the iMac to the TC, either wirelessly or via Ethernet.

Both the iMac and Time Capsule can handle up to gigabit Ethernet but the modem has a maximum speed of 100baseT, so the connection between the modem and the TC will be at 100baseT, while - if you connect the TC and iMac via Ethernet - the TC-to-iMac will be at 1000baseT.

There shouldn't be any problems with the TC receiving and sending data at different rates, however - and I can't swear to this as I'm not a network tech - it seems logical that data over a network will never be faster than the slowest link. So data coming in from the internet will be passed between the modem and TC at 100baseT speed; even with gigabit Ethernet between the TC and the iMac you'll still only be forwarding internet data to the iMac at 100baseT because that's how fast the TC is getting it. Does that make sense?

Your other home network links are: iMac-to-TC-and-back for backups; PC-to-TC-and-back for backups (assuming the PC has XP or Vista installed); and iMac to PC via TC for file sharing (again assuming XP or Vista on the PC).

The iMac to TC link will either be wifi or gigabit Ethernet - both the iMac and TC use the 802.11n wireless protocol, with a maximum data rate of 300 Mbit/s. Gigabit Ethernet has a maximum data rate of 1000 Mbit/s. If you're going to have the TC close enough to the iMac and extra cables aren't a problem then the gigabit Ethernet connection makes much more sense.

PC to TC would have to be 10baseT if that's all the PC can handle, so again I'd imagine any data moving between the PC and the TC, and iMac and PC via TC, will be throttled by the slower data rate of the PC.

I hope all that makes sense - it sounds right when I read it back, but it would do...

As far as actual cables are concerned, 10 and 100baseT require Category 5 cable, while gigabit Ethernet/1000baseT will work with Cat 5, but Cat 5e (Cat 5 enhanced) or even Cat 6 would be better.

Basically you need:

1. 10baseT / Cat 5 - Time Capsule to PC

2. 100baseT / Cat 5 - modem to Time Capsule

3. 1000baseT / Cat 5e or Cat 6 - Time Capsule to iMac

 

[pgoat]

yahguduyahgudhyahguhduh.....

actually that DID make sense - thanks for saving me once more!

Your summation at the start of your reply (re: how we'd be setting it up) is 100% correct, with one exception - we hadn't planned to use the TIme Capsule to backup the PC; only the Mac. We have a separate external HD hooked to the PC already for backups. Not sure if that would be an issue or if we can simply not sync the PC for backups and just use the TC as a router/network. We did plan to hook our one printer up to the TC so we can print from either machine without disconnecting USB cables, moving files or emailing back & forth, etc.

Re the Ethernet cables, just to clarify and make sure I am on the same page:

1. you felt there'd be no other advantage to utilizing the wireless connection between TC and iMac, so just get a cable, yes? (Less cable is always nice, but not a problem to add one more, especially for the faster connection - the TC will be right next to the two computers, so it can be a short one).

2. Since the modem can handle 100baseT, I assume it is well worth replacing the 10baseT cable currently running from modem to PC (which will then go directly into the new TC)? I wanted to be clear on that one because it is a long cable running about 20-25 feet or so across our living room and would need tacking down, etc. Not a big deal, but we'd only go to the trouble and expense if it will be a noticeable speed increase at the iMac for internet end use.

3. I wasn't 100% sure what the capacities of the PC's Ethernet card are; will it definitely be 10BaseT? We had it installed when we upgraded to a high speed connection in 2003 (we originally bought the PC in 2000 with a dial up). I checked via 'Device Manager ' but still wasn't sure and was having some difficulty locating manufacturer info online. Since the modem can do 10baseT I am unclear as to why the cable company ran a 10baseT cable across the room - unless it is simply cheaper?

 

[scotrace]

Overthinking it.

Plug modem into wall, plug wireless/drive into modem. Stash both out of sight someplace. Set up wireless and lock it from intruders. Start Time Machine. Forget its all there.
Forget the old machine, as within a week you'll notice is is gathering dust, and move it to basement.

 

[Salv]

actually that DID make sense - thanks for saving me once more!

Your summation at the start of your reply (re: how we'd be setting it up) is 100% correct, with one exception - we hadn't planned to use the TIme Capsule to backup the PC; only the Mac. We have a separate external HD hooked to the PC already for backups. Not sure if that would be an issue or if we can simply not sync the PC for backups and just use the TC as a router/network. We did plan to hook our one printer up to the TC so we can print from either machine without disconnecting USB cables, moving files or emailing back & forth, etc.

I would think the TC will just treat the PC as part of its network, and not even notice if you back up the PC to a separate drive. I hadn't even thought about where you'd place your printer, but attaching that to the TC makes perfect sense.

Re the Ethernet cables, just to clarify and make sure I am on the same page:

1. you felt there'd be no other advantage to utilizing the wireless connection between TC and iMac, so just get a cable, yes? (Less cable is always nice, but not a problem to add one more, especially for the faster connection - the TC will be right next to the two computers, so it can be a short one).

Personally, I'd like the fastest connection possible between my computer and my backup drive. The wireless connection is a very nice use of the technology, but it transfers at less than a third of the speed of gigabit Ethernet so in your situation, with the iMac and the TC next to each other, I'd definitely put up with an extra cable. You can get a 12 inch Cat 6 patch cable for a couple of dollars.

2. Since the modem can handle 100baseT, I assume it is well worth replacing the 10baseT cable currently running from modem to PC (which will then go directly into the new TC)? I wanted to be clear on that one because it is a long cable running about 20-25 feet or so across our living room and would need tacking down, etc. Not a big deal, but we'd only go to the trouble and expense if it will be a noticeable speed increase at the iMac for internet end use.

The 10baseT cable may already be capable of handling 100baseT. If it's Cat 5 there's no need to replace it. If it's Cat 3 or 4 then, yes, you will see an improvement by replacing it with Cat 5.

3. I wasn't 100% sure what the capacities of the PC's Ethernet card are; will it definitely be 10BaseT? We had it installed when we upgraded to a high speed connection in 2003 (we originally bought the PC in 2000 with a dial up). I checked via 'Device Manager ' but still wasn't sure and was having some difficulty locating manufacturer info online. Since the modem can do 10baseT I am unclear as to why the cable company ran a 10baseT cable across the room - unless it is simply cheaper?

It's very likely that your Ethernet card will support 100baseT - according to the wiki article for Fast Ethernet the 100baseT standard was introduced in 1995, with gigabit Ethernet coming along 3 years later, so it's even possible that your card will support 1000baseT. You could connect the TC and PC with a Cat 5e or Cat 6 cable anyway - if the card can cope you'll get gigabit Ethernet to the PC; if the card can't cope you'll just have some redundant data capacity in the cable.