I'm going to buy a Mac

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ichabod @ Sep 6 2006, 09:05 AM) [snapback]315119[/snapback]</div>

Bear in mind that these high end graphics applications have not yet been upgraded to "Universal" builds. This means that they run in Rosetta emulation with a big performance hit.

 

My wife currently has a PC based laptop but she's ready for a new one.
Can I purchase a Macbook and get her excel and other PC based files to work on the Mac?

 

Yes, that's what I'm saying. Fortunately for people who don't need to run that software, Macs have some decent in-built and other good native software.

I just find that a lot of the apps I need run in emulation mode, and hence hurt my productivity and are not good for me personally. Maybe some day when said software runs the same on Mac, I'll look at buying one and not complain and make other people feel bad about it

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bshef @ Sep 6 2006, 08:19 AM) [snapback]315168[/snapback]</div>

As noted above, Microsoft Office 2004 is available for the Mac, including Excel, Word, and Powerpoint. This is in native Mac code. The PC data files (.doc, .xls, etc.) can be read by a Mac.

Also noted above, there are several options for running Windows programs on Mac hardware. Bootcamp let's you start/reboot into either Mac OS X or Microsoft Windows XP; you have to buy/own XP, OS X comes with the Mac, and you can only use one OS at a time.

Parallels lets XP run in a container under OS X, so your normal Mac programs work as expected and you have a window where XP and Windows apps are running; again, you need to buy/own XP, but you can run both Mac and Windows apps at the same time.

I don't know much about Crossover Mac. But you can expect the ability to run Windows apps on the Mac hardware/software to improve.

 

I switched to a mac early this year, after 25 years with PCs. For the most part, it was a good move, and the learning curve wasn't nearly as bad as I'd feared. The time I used to waste with anti-virus checks is now wasted...umm...elsewhere. The few Windows based programmes I've tried to run with Virtual PC are functional, but slow, and one won't work at all. (Simply Accounting) I'm looking now at either another imac or a macbook for the rest of the family, but I'll still need a pc to run pc stuff. Expecting this PC-on-a-mac ability to improve, as Bill says, also means it doesn't work yet. For everything else, it's wonderful.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tyrael @ Sep 6 2006, 07:18 AM) [snapback]315126[/snapback]</div>

64 bit!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hyo silver @ Sep 6 2006, 11:41 AM) [snapback]315230[/snapback]</div>

Just to make the point. Mac hardware now runs Windows natively, just like a PC does. Virtualization solutions like Parallels, run Windows at about 2/3 the speed of a comparable PC. Like I mentioned before, macs are the best of both worlds at this point.

Cheers!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Alric @ Sep 6 2006, 12:51 PM) [snapback]315237[/snapback]</div>

I *want* to believe you. For 80% of what I do, macs are far superior. If the few vital business applications I need would run on a mac 'now', not 'maybe later', I'd be a 100% convert. Apple can't help me because they didn't write the software. Microsoft won't help me because I'm using the 'wrong' hardware. Simply Accounting won't help me because I'm trying to run their software on the 'wrong' platform. Ironically, part of the reason I switched was to avoid this hardware/software bs.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hyo silver @ Sep 6 2006, 12:09 PM) [snapback]315254[/snapback]</div>

That's why I said "at this point". If you are running Virtual PC you are probably using an "older" PPC Mac. The solutions I mentioned unfortunately apply only to the newer intel macs.

 

Yes, I'm using an older imac. I'll buy a new one if it'll run Simply Accounting and CanTax. I suppose I'll just have to take my software to the store to find out.

 

K.....next question....
Whose got the "Bro" hook up for a good price on a new Mac?
Maybe we could do a group buy

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hyo silver @ Sep 6 2006, 12:27 PM) [snapback]315267[/snapback]</div>

Using Bootcamp it will run like any other PC. Using Parallels it will run as a virtual machine within OS X.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jfschultz @ Sep 6 2006, 07:37 AM) [snapback]315134[/snapback]</div>

It's not a big performance hit compared to the G5s. The newer computers are fast enough that the performance hit is not really noticeable. It's much slower than the machines are capable of, but since you're on a much faster machine, you're not any worse off running them under Rosetta as you would be running them on a G5.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tyrael @ Sep 6 2006, 07:18 AM) [snapback]315126[/snapback]</div>

[/b][/quote]
I would take a serious look at the iMac now that is a 64bit processor. I would not think you will need the horse power of the Mac Pro. The new iMac will run everything. You might hold off till later in the month. Apple has rented an auditorium for an announcement in the next 10 days or so. It may just be the deal for video down loads from iTunes but you never know.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Sep 6 2006, 01:31 PM) [snapback]315378[/snapback]</div>

Congrats! And good riddance to Bill!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Sep 6 2006, 01:31 PM) [snapback]315378[/snapback]</div>

daniel,

I've always had Macs. The major disadvantage to using Macs compared to PC's is the lack of software choices. This disadvantage is now moot due to the ability to use Windows on your Mac with Bootcamp or Parallels.

Microsoft Office (for the mac) is pretty much the standard for word processing and spreadsheets, mostly because it does pretty well cross-platform. Word is (in my opinion) way too bloated for general use, but again, it's nice to be able to communicate cross-platform. I have not used Pages (the mac word processing program) but I hear it's pretty good, and can also do pretty well communicating with PC's.

If you don't mind paying a little extra, keep your order. If you want to save, buy the standard iMac (without the memory upgrade) and install it yourself. Prices at Crucial (http://www.crucial.com/) and OWC (http://www.macsales.com/) are less, and it's not that difficult to install it.

A couple of links of interest: Smalldog Electronics (http://www.smalldog.com/) is a company in Vermont that deals exclusively Mac, and they are very progressive politically. The owner is not afraid to state his views on current affairs... he's received a fair amount of flack from time to time. Definitely check them out. The above-mentioned OWC is not exclusively mac, but they do have pretty good prices on memory, hard drives and some mac software.

For information, a good all-around site is macnn (http://www.macnn.com/).

Good luck with your new computer. Feel free to send me a message if you have questions. I'm no genius, but I can probably point you in the right direction if I don't know the answer.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Sep 6 2006, 03:31 PM) [snapback]315378[/snapback]</div>

Make sure you're home. They use FedEx. I hate FedEx. They suck. They threw an LCD projector over my 8 ft gate into the back yard because I wasn't home to answer the door and they didn't want to leave it on the porch. They never bothered to leave a note about my Mac. I finally called then and found out it had been at their office for three weeks. That's three weeks of my warranty down the tube. The box looked like it had been dropkicked. I ended up having to have the optical drive replaced (under warranty). For my airport base station I was home, doing dishes all morning. I checked when I got up and nothing. Went in the kitchen to do dishes. Then checked the door again. They had left a deliver attempted notice. They had come and gone and never bothered to knock or ring the bell. Just put the note on the door and left.

Did I mention FedEx sucks?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hyo silver @ Sep 6 2006, 12:27 PM) [snapback]315267[/snapback]</div>

Is there any particular reason you don't want to use TurboTax? And I'm sure there's an accounting program too....like...Quicken. At some point you'll have to upgrade your PC programs. That's when you can switch to a mac program.

Or you can install bootcamp or parallels and Windows XP.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Sep 6 2006, 07:10 PM) [snapback]315454[/snapback]</div>

CanTax is a Canadian income tax program, reissued annually and updated throughout the tax season, with many features not found in a consumer-level product like TurboTax.

Simply Accounting is updated at least twice a year to reflect payroll tax changes. I've looked at Quicken, but it's really not in the same league. Most of my clients use Simply, and it would not be helpful for me to use something else. If all I wanted to do was file my own taxes and keep track of my spending, my computer needs would not be nearly so particular.

So, I've chosen my software, and I'm looking for the best platform that will run it. A pc is the easy way out, initially, but I'd rather have a mac, and I'd rather not have two or three boxes on my desk. I've sent emails asking about both bootcamp and parallels, so we'll see what they have to say.

Thanks for your suggestions, though, Godiva. I know you're trying to be helpful.

And congratulations, Daniel. I'm sure you and your new 'significant other' will be very happy together.