posted on December 13, 2009 09:51:06 AM new
I'm at the point of making the jump to Mac, but have been seeking input on whether the cost is worth it or not.
I'm having trouble with the idea of coughing up $1500 for a Mac laptop, plus the cost of new software which will tack on another $500 right off the bat.
What should I consider in owning a Mac, especially when I am using it for eBay, Vendio, etc?
My understanding is that SM Pro doesn't have any Mac versions available. I know there is a program called Garage Sale that is rumored to be good for listing auctions on ebay, and would keep costs down.
posted on December 14, 2009 08:53:59 AM new
500 dollars in software?? Garage Sale is 35 dollar shareware. It looks pretty impressive, but I am not a heavy lister so can't really comment.
As far as other software, such as Photoshop and Office, there are good free or cheap alternatives offered for Mac.
I've never had any issues using Ebay with either Safari, Apple's proprietary browser or Firefox. I NEVER use Internet Exploder. Can't comment on Vendio, as I don't use it. Maybe a CS person can reply to this in that regard. If Vendio isn't Mac compatible, there's NO reason it shouldn't be. Web sites that have Windoze specific applications are in the dying minority.
There are lots of price comparisons between Macs and comparable PC's online. You get what you pay for with a 400 dollar computer. I just bought my wife a 300 dollar netbook, as she uses Windows at her business and all she does at home is log into her bank accounts, check email and manage her iPod music.
What you get for the money with a Macintosh is reliability, ease of use and the ability to say goodbye forever to viruses, spyware, malware and all those other nasties that people here and elsewhere are always fighting. My Macs have been online 24/7 for 10 years or more with NO protection, without incident.
Apple's warranty protection and customer service are superb, and more often than not you'll end up talking to a native English speaker who is actually in our hemisphere who'll be happy to walk you thru any learning curve issues you might have.
Your Mac will last a long time. The computer I use most is a 1999 Mac G3 tower that has lived in my dusty, dirty barn office since it was new. It's 100 degrees in there in the summer and freezing cold right now. It runs various applications that track my various animal records. It runs all the time, and has never failed me.
Good luck!
posted on December 14, 2009 09:17:05 AM new
I am a Mac User / Lover. Never had any issues with any application related to Ebay. We have 2 Macs, mine is getting rather old and am getting a new one after the first.
So reliable, no crashes, no problems.
posted on December 14, 2009 06:26:29 PM new
I would need to replace my Quickbooks, would want Garage Sale, as well as a few others. That was a rough estimate though.
My understanding is that Vendio doesn't provide a Mac based SM Pro application, only for windows. This is an offline launching system. If Garage Sale is as good as it looks, I won't be concerned about Vendio... and it will save me quite a bit of money each month if I can cut the expense of Vendio altogether. I see the long term savings in a Mac, including the down time in a PC, the frustrations of rebooting, etc. though Mac isn't perfect either.
posted on December 15, 2009 02:08:04 PM new
shagmidmod,
First, I would suggest you go for a desktop over a laptop (whether Windows or Mac) as any laptop will fail long before a desktop. With laptops, the moving parts i.e. hinges with flexing cables tend to die within a few years usually just out of warranty. Also being portable they tend to get dropped and no matter how rugged, they inevitably get damaged or a part get knocked loose leading to a failure.
All modern Macs made since about 2005 are Intel-based and can happily run all Mac OS X software as well as Windows XP, Vista or Win7 software. You can use the included BootCamp installer to create a separate Windows partition if you still want to use legacy software or titles that aren't yet available on Mac OS X. Do take care to install proper Windows anti-virus/spyware software (not that Windows virus can affect or infect Mac OS X).
Cheapest, safest way to get a modern Mac is usually via a factory refurbished purchase from the Apple Store or a retailer. If you check the daily deals on DealMac.com there are currently 4 refurbished last generation Apple iMac Desktops: 20" for $849 + free shipping, 24" from $1,099 and they are as cheap as any equivalent Core 2 Duo-based Windows machine. Note that the latest iMacs use a newer processor but aren't that much faster unless you are doing heavy lifting like nuclear fractal equations.
I have both an aging beige G3 mini tower (circa 1997) which is still, like profe51's, going strong. It's had fans replaced over the years, but is still chugging along running Mac OS X 10.2.8 and OS 9.
My second machine is a first generation Mac mini upgraded to a faster 64-bit Core 2 Duo 2.16 Ghz CPU via eBay. The latest Mac minis are much more powerful and support HDMI so you can use them as media centers when connected to large widescreen HDTVs. However the minis still need to be connected to an existing monitor, keyboard and mouse so remember to include that in the cost. I'd go with a nice third-party Bluetooth keyboard as the current Apple keyboards are too small if nice looking.
posted on December 15, 2009 02:43:22 PM new
Hello,
I use both Mac's and PC's in doing support and I don't think that you shouldn't even look at the cost of the two in your decision making process at first. What you really want to do - if you haven't already been using a Mac OS - is go to a Mac store or a friends house and use theirs and see what you think.
Is it easy for you to understand right off the bat, or does it seem like it would take a long time before your as comfortable as you are now with your Windows OS?
A year later and the $500 price difference between the two systems won't matter much if you don't like the way the operating system works in general. In both cases if there is one particular tool or feature you really like in the other - there are applications that can do the exact same thing on the other system.
What makes you want to switch in the first place? Have you already used one and liked it? Or are you just sick of the Vista issues?
If the latter and your still using the 64 bit version of Vista - just upgrade to 7 and be done with it. I finally upgraded my PC laptop from Vista 64 to 7 and it's fantastic. The interface is cleverly designed, it's esthetically pleasing and ALL of the little things that didn't quite work correctly in Vista - just instantly started working after the switch to Windows 7. (including SMPRO, VPN software, photo editing programs, a printer that Vista didn't like for whatever reason, you name it.)
As for the offline based Sales Manager Pro application - yes, this is a program that was designed years ago to run on the Windows OS. It is a stripped down version of the regular web based Sales Manager that only requires a browser to use (therefor isn't OS specific.) All of our newest tools and features are available from the web based Sales Manager systems, it is only this older offline specific program that was intended for Windows operating systems. (was ideal for users with slower internet connections as you didn't have to be online to use it, not nearly as important these days.)
HP laptops have been extremely good at running Windows 7 if you end up needing a new PC and as the poster mentioned above - the Mac Mini's are really fantastic little machines as well if you go the Mac OS route and don't need it to be portable.
Regards,
Chris
[ edited by ChristopherCS on Dec 15, 2009 02:45 PM ]
posted on December 17, 2009 06:56:15 AM new
The Mini was really designed as an easy and inexpensive way to switch. You're not going to run any heavy graphics programs very fast or do any big time video editing on one, but otherwise they're as quick as any laptop. Given that you probably own a good monitor and keyboard already, it's a no brainer.
+1 on the suggestion to try the Macs out firsthand. If you've not been in an Apple retail store you're in for a treat. If you decide to buy, check the apple site's refurb section daily. I pretty much always buy refurbs. If you or someone in your family is a student or teacher, log into the education page for education discounts. The link is on their main store page. Another good place to check prices on new and refurbs is smalldog.com. Great people. They often have closeout models at good prices and you won't pay tax. Apple has to charge sales tax in any state they have a retail presence. Avoid MacMall like H1N1.
posted on December 18, 2009 08:31:24 AM new
Thanks for the heads up. Fortunately, in Oregon we have no Sales Tax. It's like buying at the Navy Exchange... but anywhere and everywhere! LOL.
I have used laptops exclusively for about 5 years. I carry mine between home and work almost every day. I take very good care of my computers and keep them very well padded when traveling.
There are many things that make me want to switch. First, I hate my current laptop. The plastic trim around the keyboard is coming unglued and I am packing it up today to ship to the mfg for repair. The other thing that bugs me about it is that the monitor doesn't go back very far. So, I have to be sitting to use it. When at work I often need to stand to match prices on our website to products in the store. I have to tilt the whole laptop to do so. The monitor will only go back about 95 degrees. Ugh!
Then of course there is Vista and all of the headaches it brought. Yes, I can upgrade to Windows 7... but why should I continue to invest in Microsoft when every other time they release new OS it is problematic. I feel cheated that I cough up money for their "new and improved" software that half the time isn't improved. Then there are the viruses. I rarely go unplugged, but I do like the energy efficiency. I also like the metal casing vs. the plastic crap out there.
My main concerns at this point are software. I currently use Quickbooks for our bookkeeping and fortunately they make a Mac version that should easily convert, though I wouldn't mind something better than that. There are open sources for the MS Office or I can buy it. iLife comes with many features for photo editing, so I am covered there.
I would love to have a desktop and a laptop, but I'm not sure how to swing it right now. I've considered doing a 13" macbook pro and also get a mac mini for home. It gives me the flexibility to carry something lightweight vs. my very heavy 15.6 laptop. The mini would give me the ability to use a 20+ inch monitor.
Basically, I am at a very good point to make the change. No time like the present to do it. I've always wanted to switch, but costs have prevented me from doing so in the past.
posted on December 18, 2009 09:00:25 AM new
Do you ever need to use both a desktop and laptop at the same time... or... are you just thinking of the mac mini so you can have a larger screen? If so... you can get a docking station (I use one by BookEndz) for your laptop, connect it to an external keyboard, mouse and larger monitor... and voila... your laptop turns into a desktop. The MacBook Pro's gonna be more powerful than the mini anyhow... might as well get extra usage out of it!
******************************
posted on December 18, 2009 01:22:41 PM new
that was my thought. there are many good monitors out there at very reasonable prices in the 20-23 inch range. We get about $400-500 a month in rewards at Office Max. This can be used for anything in the store, so I will get my Mac Software and monitor there.
I already have a wireless keyboard at home and at work. I bought the keyboards b/c of how worn my keyboard and mouse looked when I sold my first laptop. I usually sell my laptops within 3 years to avoid the problems of broken hard drives, monitors, etc. plus at 2-3 years I get very good resale on it b/c technology hasn't become too outdated yet. I find I can get as much as 50-75% of what I paid for a computer this way, especially if I keep them looking like new.
When I bought this laptop last January I was very dissappointed in the choices I had, particularly with the casings. All of this glossy plastic crap out there just craves getting scratched up.
Hopefully I will have time to get to Mac Force and the Apple store this weekend. I may hunt for those "open box" deals after Christmas. I can't argue with 10-15% off $1500.
