Trying a Mac4 ways to find what the fuss is aboutGo to: What is a Mac? / Differences / Which Mac? / Index
Are you one of those people who try Mac and never go back, or one of those people too set in their ways adapt to the unfamiliar? Sometimes, you just have to find out what the all the fuss is for yourself. The intention of this page is to offer some basic advise on how to try a Macintosh. The next page –
'10 things about OS X that confuse Windows users'
– is intended to ease Mac virgins though this first contact.
1. Buy a Mac. The best way to get a proper idea of whether a Mac would make a good permanent or semi-permanent computing platform of choice for you, is by living with one for a while. Bear in mind, as looked at in another page – see running Windows on a Mac – much of the risk and upheaval of a switch in platform, can be as gradual or indeed as completely as you like by running Windows alongside Mac OS on the same Mac PC. Also note, if you were to decide you really can't live with it and want rid of it, Mac hardware has traditionally held its values much better than other brands of PC, so more of the initial purchase cost could be recouped than you may assume. Apple's website (UK) should be able to point you to your nearest retailer. Note that direct from Apple, educational discounts are available if applicable. See 'Which Mac?' for a look at the models that make up the current Macintosh range. 2. Get a used Mac. Speaking of used Macs, why not get one of those? As said above, they won't be as cheap as an equivalent used Windows PC, but still, obviously the older and lower spec one is, the cheaper it will be. It obviously won't be as powerful or have as many toys as a new one, but it still may be enough to try one before you either decide to get a new modern one, or forget the whole thing and resell it. Bear in mind here though, if you did buy a used Mac with a PowerPC processor as opposed to an Intel processor new ones will have, the option of running Windows too would not be a viable option. Plus, be mindful that a really old Mac may not even have a recent copy of Mac OS X, or be capable of running it too 'snappily'. Check listings on eBay auction site (UK) for the kind of prices used Macs sell for. 3. Try a friend's or school's. If you know anyone who has one of course.
A shop is not the best place to try anything as complicated as an unfamiliar computing platform, but at least it's free to do so. One thing I would suggest though, is a Mac specific store – an official
Apple Store
or an Apple specialist – rather than a general purpose PC store. The Macs on display will usually tend to be better looked after and better set up to play with, plus you'd be more likely to have someone in store who knows anything about Macs if you have questions. Salespeople in non Apple specific stores often tend to be largely ignorant about Macs, and could give you wrong or outdated advise.
Better the devil you know than the devil you don't. Whichever method you choose, if you're a long time Windows user, right from the off, there will be differences that you have to get used to; some major, some minor. It's common for the immediate knee-jerk reaction to these differences, is wanting to give up right there. But different doesn't necessarily mean worse; the two platforms have simply followed different evolutionary paths. Bear this in mind if you catch yourself muttering, "I don't like this! This is stupid! Why doesn't it just do it like Windows?" How well someone adapts to the unfamiliar, will differ from person to person. Some will take to it like a duck to water. Others will very quickly walk away frustrated and disappointed, too set in their ways to adapt. If you lean more towards the latter, I'd just urge you to consider that perhaps your experiences are not necessarily a reflection of any shortcomings of the entire Mac platform. Others who may subsequently ask your opinion, may be better at adapting to and benefitting from that which is different than you could. Go to: What is a Mac? / Differences / Which Mac? / Index
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Okay, so you've heard stuff about Macs, you've read stuff about Macs – positive and negative – and hopefully you've gone though this very site to iron out the last few misconceptions you may have had. But there's only so much you can glean from reading facts and figures, and about other people's opinions and anecdotes.
4. Try one in the shops.