Apple vs. Windows 7 - I'm leaning toward an Apple, but...

[bluemoco]

I'm overdue for a new primary "work" computer.  I'm currently favoring an iMac with the big 27" screen:



We currently have a 6-month-old MacBook Pro (Wifey's computer), and it's been great.  I would have no trouble going over to another Apple machine, even though I've been using Windows computers for work since the mid-'90's.

My question is this:  Is Windows 7 at all worth consideration?  Is it stable?  User-friendly?  

My inclination is to go with an Apple and use VM or Parallels when I need to run some MS Office applications.  But I could probably save some significant $$ if I went with a Windows machine.  

I'm going to make the purchase within a very short time frame, so your feedback is welcomed.  

[NoisyDante]

It all depends really on the bulk of what you plan to do with it.  Mac is catching up on running parallel applications, though it is lacking a bit on certain Office programs.  Excel for one is awful on a Mac, but maybe you're not using Excel much, making it a moot point.  Mac's are great for production work and media, so if that's up your alley I'd recommend Mac.

I've been solely on a Mac for 7 years now, I've never come across something that couldn't be accomplished with it.

From what I've heard and experienced with Windows 7, it is pretty stable, lightyears more than Vista, but I've come to like the Mac OS far more.

[bluemoco]

Actually, Excel and PowerPoint are pretty important for me.  The rest of my writing + development work could easily be done on a Mac.

Reviews of "Office for Mac 2008" are pretty terrible.  My limited experiments with the program confirm this, so I"m expecting to need to use Parallels (or similar) to run my Office appliications. 

The big upside (for me anyway) is the Mac's excellent photo and video handling capabilities.  Plus, I hate hate hate the antivirus/adware/spyware software crap that is a de facto requirement for Windows machines.

[il d00d]

You may want to reconsider the 27" based on the issues reported:
"Apple's big-screen 27-inch desktop iMac still has a shipping wait time of three weeks, and one new report has alleged that the company has ceased production of new units until it can address hardware issues. Link

You could always boot to windows on your iMac if parallels didn't work out for you I have heard VMs work fine with the productivity apps in particular

[NoisyDante]

Yea, both machines have upsides and downsides.  The good thing is the Parallels program to boot Windows on a Mac.  Mac does run Office stuff, just not as well.  At least a Mac can handle them, whereas a PC would straight up struggle with the photo and video.

Plus, no viruses on Macs!

[derby]

Actually, Excel and PowerPoint are pretty important for me.  The rest of my writing + development work could easily be done on a Mac.

check out numbers and keynote (iwork).

Reviews of "Office for Mac 2008" are pretty terrible.  My limited experiments with the program confirm this, so I"m expecting to need to use Parallels (or similar) to run my Office appliications. 

when microsoft removed all the "advanced" stuff from the suite (vbcript, for one), there was no reason to spend any more than the $79 for iwork.

[zarn02]

I've used Windows 7 a little, and it seems to be alright. Much better than Vista.

I haven't used a Mac for more than five minutes since photography in high school, so I've no idea there.

Also, consider Linux. My laptop is running Ubuntu 9.10, and with the Gnome desktop I haven't had any configuration problems. It runs OpenOffice, Firefox, the GIMP photo editor, etc. and runs 'em like a champ. Viruses are also a non-issue on Linux, and boot time is super quick.

[bluemoco]

check out numbers and keynote (iwork).

when microsoft removed all the "advanced" stuff from the suite (vbcript, for one), there was no reason to spend any more than the $79 for iwork.

we have iWork on our MacBook Pro. I don't even need another copy-we can install the software on up to 3 computers IIRC.

I tried to open some of my work-related spreadsheets with Numbers, but ran into some errors. Too many columns or rows or something. I am not at all experienced as a Numbers user, but I'm uncertain about its capabilities to handle my database work.

[superjohn]

I would normally have agreed about Excel but after using Excel 2007 I think it's a draw. Microsoft managed to completely bugger up everything I used to do. Sorting, pivot tables, graphs....all are sooo much different than they used to be that a year later I still can't reproduce reports that I used to do in 10 minutes with the old version of Excel.

The Mac stuff doesn't seem to do macros or visual basic well, but I don't use those much. I do own the 27" iMac and it's a beautiful display and a really superb computer. I'm not a Mac zealot, but since 1999 I have consistently weighed my options and chosen an Apple product. I use Windows and Unix at work and have a lot more trouble with those. 

[bluemoco]

I would normally have agreed about Excel but after using Excel 2007 I think it's a draw. Microsoft managed to completely bugger up everything I used to do. Sorting, pivot tables, graphs....all are sooo much different than they used to be that a year later I still can't reproduce reports that I used to do in 10 minutes with the old version of Excel.

The Mac stuff doesn't seem to do macros or visual basic well, but I don't use those much. I do own the 27" iMac and it's a beautiful display and a really superb computer. I'm not a Mac zealot, but since 1999 I have consistently weighed my options and chosen an Apple product. I use Windows and Unix at work and have a lot more trouble with those. 

Have you experienced the hardware issues that were plaguing the 27" iMacs?  iL Dood linked to some info (above).  I would definitely plan to buy the AppleCare warranty anyway, but... 

Our local Apple store has 27" iMacs in stock right now, so availability doesn't seem to be an issue for me.  I think I'd upgrade to 8gigs of RAM and get the corded keyboard with the number pad.

[derby]

Have you experienced the hardware issues that were plaguing the 27" iMacs?  iL Dood linked to some info (above).  I would definitely plan to buy the AppleCare warranty anyway, but... 

my i7 27in imac was well-behaved for the first three weeks and then developed an intermittent flicker. the first display firmware didn't resolve the issue and i applied the second one last night. so far, so good.

aside from that, it's an effin rocket.

Our local Apple store has 27" iMacs in stock right now, so availability doesn't seem to be an issue for me.  I think I'd upgrade to 8gigs of RAM and get the corded keyboard with the number pad.

i'm waiting for the 4gb ddr3 sodimm modules to come down in price so i can upgrade my macbook pro and 27imac at the same time.

i really wish they made a bluetooth full keyboard ... that said, i don't miss the 10-key pad (often).

[DucaChic]

We have both in our household, though Hubby is a Mac-Adict.

My Windows PC is for work because that's what the company wants/provides.

For everything else, the Mac is just better. We run both Mac OSX and Windows 7 on the Mac and both work perfectly well. My husband uses a Windows CAD program along with Microsoft Office with Windows 7 on the Mac. As you know, the Mac OSX, Photos and Video and the iLife suite are wonderful. We also have the Parallels emulator which we occasionally use for quick access to Word and Excel as needed.

Yes Macs cost more, but you essentially get a Mac PC and a Windows PC in one package. The best of both worlds.

[mitt]

Windows 7 "early" adopter here - not RC early, but Oct 22 '09 for sale production versions.

I have 2 desktops running 7 - both 64bit.  One is Pro, the other Home Premium.  I really like 7 so far, and do not like using XP at work anymore.  In 8 months combined now between the 2 machines, I have never had a blue screen or any real problem.  I had a screwy permissions issue, but I think that was due to the way I was installing a piece of software.  

I have had no hardware issues other than an ancient HP printer that there was a work around.  In fact, most hardware has installed easier and worked better than XP.

I would like to try a mac laptop, but I just really don't want one more technical thing I need to learn and stay brushed up on. I feel pretty good around windows, so now most likely looking at the latest dual core ULV laptops.

mitt

[bluemoco]

Mitt- Do you need a heavy arsenal of antivirus / spyware protection on your Win7 machines?

[mitt]

Mitt- Do you need a heavy arsenal of antivirus / spyware protection on your Win7 machines?

I use Avast - which is free and almost transparent except for the frequent definition updates.  If I was doing a clean 7 install or new machine, I would try microsoft's security essentials.

mitt