I need to replace my laptop (an aging Inspiron 8200) and I’m being encouraged (or bullied ;)) to get a Mac from all sides.
Now I’ve always had a PC, and (save for servers and Virtual Machines) that PC has always run windows. 3.11, 95, 98, XP. A lot of XP. And I’ve been happy with it - it’s stable, annoyingly slow sometimes, but works. I have a lot of Windows-only software; some free, a lot of it bought. When I feel limited by Windows I switch to Ubuntu, or (cunningly) Win32 ports of all the useful Linux tools 
So looking at laptops, I stand and consider what I’d gain. An expensive purchase, a new Operating System to learn, shedloads of software to buy (either that or run Parallels/VMWare and end up using Windows half the time), and something just slightly different from the Linux I’m used to - different enough to make things annoying (like the parameters for reloading apache - why do so many distros have different ones? Anyway, I digress…)
Lots of people are Mac users now, and in the web development world they seem very popular. Simon Willison is an example; the PHP conference last year was pretty Mac’d up.
Others don’t. I have a theory a lot of people don’t use Macs, but they’re unnoticed because they don’t spend so much time talking about how wonderful thei computer is 
And having watched a colleague’s Mac crash more frequently than I’ve ever made XP crash, and need rebooting just as often, I’m not overly impressed.
If I go to a Mac, aside from the extra initial cost (Macs are expensive) I need to take into account I have over £1000 in Windows-only software, plus Adobe Creative Suite 3 for Windows. My desktop PC will continue to run Windows, so I would be switching between platforms during the day.
Listening to Mac freaks raving about their computers I’m wondering if a Mac is something you only ‘get’ by owning one - or if people just forget that Windows ever did the job once they buy one
So I throw out the question to all of you. Why should I (or should I not) go for a Mac? What is there that, as a long-time PC user, I’m missing which makes Mac users so… overwhelmed by their Macs? As a web developer, have you found a Mac has made you more productive? Does it do anything you couldn’t do with a PC running Windows or Linux?
4 comments ↓
I’ve used Linux, Windows and OSX. I have 3 computers at home - running each one. I’m not a fan of OSX - I think most of the talk is just hype. You’re right about the stability of OSX too IMO, I don’t think it’s any more stable then Vista. I’m reasonably OS neutral, I often joke about being anti-windows, but in reality, I use what I use because I prefer the software that runs on it. The OS itself… well, is it *really* that important? I’m not so sure…. if I had to choose, I’d run Linux - and that’s what I use about 80% of the time. This is partly because it’s free - but mostly, it’s because the the software on it suits me best. I run Vista on my laptop - the license was included in the cost of the laptop, and when it comes to laptops - often windows is better if you want hardware to ‘just work’. On top of that, it’s always handy to have a windows machine handy. You asked me recently what laptop to buy, and I advised a powerbook… not because I’m an OSX fan, but mostly because they are a very sexy laptop
My opinion, which is based on having used all 3 full time at various stages, is that you should probably try OSX , but don’t get too focused on the OS, as your day to day use is actually with the software that runs on it, not the OS itself.
Looks like your experience has been mine. If you’re good with Windows, then stay with it, especially if you’re doing web design/development. I have two comps: a super fast PC and a laptop. When the latter died, I ended up with a MacBook Pro, which is very nice, but I’ll be damned if I have to do serious work on one.
OSX caters to the new users in many ways. In my experience, if you want something done right and fast, you’d better be on a Windows machine. However, if you want a machine to do everything else (like edit photos, blog or surf the web) or if you have a beginner who needs to use it once in a while, then get a Mac.
My advice - get a Mac Pro - it is beautiful machine - and install it in two partition dual boot mode. You get best of two worlds - all your Win environment still works and is with you (XP please, Vista sucks), and you can start moving part of your tasks to Mac side without stress. And in the meantime you can start exploring Mac side. Of course, you will run out of space with two computers in one, but until that you should decide stay on Win or Mac. And get a bigger or external drive
I used to be a diehard windows user until I was pretty much forced to use a Mac in college for most of my design classes (I’m a graphic/web designer) and I still wasn’t overly impressed. But something strange started to happen after using the Mac for a few months. It just started to make sense for me.
Macs aren’t geared towards new users or casual users or anything like that. The philosophy upon which the system is built is fundamentally different from Windows. That’s it. And if you are at all a designer or a developer dealing with any user interface issues, you know that the philosophy from which you start will dictate a lot of your layout and design and make a huge difference in your final product.
Mac OS simply takes a different approach to personal computing. Don’t feel at all pressured to use one just because they are nice to look at or your friends are into them. You’re going to have to get used to a whole new workflow and a whole new set of processes but for me, after I got past that initial learning curve, my Mac felt like an extension of myself- like any well designed tool should. For you and your purposes- a Mac might not be the best choice- you wouldn’t buy a Mercedes to haul construction supplies, you know?
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