In the next few days I am going to make a decision about buying a new laptop. I was raised in the PC world, and am now considering converting to and joining MAC-World.
After doing some heavy research on this, I am ready to take the plunge (after I rob a bank to pay for it, that is.) But I have some concerns and questions and would most appreciate your help about which features and programs to get.
If you have a moment, could you please join me below the fold and share the benefit of your experience?
Thanks
One of the main reasons I am thinking about the switch from a PC to a MAC is because when I look back on it, most of my problems with the PC have been viral. I bought a new HP desktop about 2 years ago and bought all the warranty stuff.
Well last summer, my new computer crashed and the HP "Help" for which I paid an arm and a leg, was DISASTROUS. I literally spent about 18 hours of time on the phone over a 2 week period trying to get it fixed, speaking to one ignorant tech after another, leaving me without a computer for about 2 weeks. At the end of that period I was positively homicidal. (Just for the record for the FBI types that might read our site, the worst I got was biting off several people's heads. Yumm!) So, that's probably a familiar backstory. (HP is finally working, but I clean it every time I go on the web.)
Now, I need a new 13" laptop (my 8 yr old trusty ACER's screen is very hard to see and I believe it deserves a decent burial.) My main use on this new laptop will be to do extensive creative writing, Internet research and excel-type worksheets. These are my questions:
- The Cost! (gasp, cough, choke!) I see that I need to spend between 1-2K - how long will it last if I don't plan to upgrade every few years for all the new bells and whistles, but just stick with writing and number crunching and Internet stuff?
- Is springing for the MacPro (aluminum one,) versus the Macbook (white one,) worth it? (about $300 more in the same configuration)
- What program should I get? Windows OFC for MAC or IWorks? (Have read nasty things about both in the extensive reviews on the Apple website.) I have delusions of grandeur about writing a book (more accurately, pulling together all the chapters that have already been written.) All you authors out there, in order to format your work for publishing, which program do you use? Will I need Word to send a prospective novel to a publisher? This is a very important question for me, because I don't want to put in a lot of work, just to find out that I don't have the correct formatting for submission.
- Please let me know the agonies and ecstacys of MAC ownership. Any other suggestions would also be most appreciated.
The enthusiasm of MAC owners is a tad bit amusing. I hope it is earned by their relationship with their computer! Hopefully I will be joining the chorus.
I came across this quote in my research and got a laugh out of it:
Never ask what sort of computer a guy drives. If he's a Mac user, he'll tell you. If not, why embarrass him? Quotation of Tom Clancy
Thanks for your time in helping me.