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E2P989 wrote:

StevenFromTexas wrote:If Microsoft doesn't ditch that Windows 8 overlay, my next desktop computer will be an Apple product.

There are a lot of 3rd party, free programs you can use to modify and tweak the GUI. Not so much with MACs though.

If you mean the Tiles, that can be turned off too.

I had to laugh when I read this. Macs have the full range of open source (free) software available to them. There isn't anything you can do to a Windows gui that you can't do to a Mac. You also have all the Unix desktops available to you, including KDE, Gnome, Afterstep, Fluxbox, etc., etc., ad nauseum ad infinitum. Plus there are window managers (GUIs to you Windows folks) written specifically for the Mac, including (but not limited to) Optimal Layout, Flexiglass and Slate.

The fact is most people know very little about their OSes. For example, I recently got a new Windows desktop (custom built) running Windows 7. I wanted to change the default behavior of the Shutdown button to Switch User (because it's easier for my wife to understand that then using the menu.) While researching the issue I discovered there were tons of freeware programs allowing you to do what the OS already allows you to do - choose the default behavior of the button. Thousands of people have installed those programs because they didn't even bother to find out what the OS was capable of without modification or installing additional programs.

E2P989 wrote:

baldeagle wrote:

C-dub wrote:Certainly are of the potential war and absolutely do not want one. The pros you mentioned are why I'm considering a Mac. I've been lucky for years or all the precautions I've taken have been effective or both.

MagicGlock, do you have any experience with any of the MS Office suite products on your Mac?

I use Office 2011 on my Macs. Outlook on my workstation at work is a nightmare. I hate it. At home it works fine. I've had zero problems with Word, Excel or Powerpoint.

Have you tried Thunderbird (by Mozilla)?
http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/all.html

I use Mulberry. I'm forced to use Outlook for some things at work. I don't like Thunderbird for the same reason I don't like a lot of other MUAs.

E2P989 wrote:

baldeagle wrote:Not having a right mouse button will cause you no end of frustration, until you figure it out. Getting the CD to eject will drive you batty.

I haven't brushed up on my MAC knowledge recently, but I believe the "mighty mouse" has a right click button. It's just not evident because the casing on the mouse is one piece. Also, I think on MAC laptops, there is a finger gesture for the multitouch trackpads that will be interpreted as a right-click.

The last time I used a CD in a MAC was in elementary school. Do you still eject it by dragging it's icon to the trash bin?

For a PC user those things are, shall we say, less than self evident? Most will reach for the button on the front of the CD and then go huh????

C-dub wrote:

E2P989 wrote:First, in response to the idea that MACs are less susceptible to malware, that's because Apple is relying on the idea of "security through obscurity." Macs are only a small percentage of the whole market share, so a cracker (malicious hacker or script kiddie) will get his/her biggest bang for the buck by targeting computers running Windows. If you want the best "security through obscurity," go with Linux.

Thanks for finally jumping in and welcome. Iv'e read these reasons for the apparent increase security level of Macs. However, isn't their OS and basic firewall structure at least a little more difficult to break into?

No Mac's security is not security by obscurity and neither is Linux/Unix. It might be obscure to Windows users, but that's understandable since they know little about it.

All software has flaws. Mac OS is no exception. The important question is does the manufacturer fix the flaws quickly. Apple is doing a better job lately than they have in the past, but they have a way to go. Microsoft has gone from completely miserable to the industry gold standard. That's because they've focused very hard on fixing flaws, they've hired very smart security people and given them the power to get things fixed, and they've been responsive to the marketplace's demands for performance. Oracle, OTOH, is abysmal, and it shows. All the "newer" Windows and Mac exploits use Java almost exclusively, and Oracle seems completely incapable of fixing the problems.

The reason you use a firewall on a host is because you are running a service that can be accessed by "foreign" computers (meaning not your own) and you want to limit or deny that access. They're not magic talismans, and they won't protect you when you engage in dangerous computer behavior (which these days means connecting to the internet.)

C-dub wrote:Certainly are of the potential war and absolutely do not want one. The pros you mentioned are why I'm considering a Mac. I've been lucky for years or all the precautions I've taken have been effective or both.

MagicGlock, do you have any experience with any of the MS Office suite products on your Mac?

I use Office 2011 on my Macs. Outlook on my workstation at work is a nightmare. I hate it. At home it works fine. I've had zero problems with Word, Excel or Powerpoint.

I use Macs, PCs and Unix machines at work. Macs represent the best of both worlds. All the power of a unix platform with the ease of use of a PC and great graphics. Our entire department (computer security) has switched to Macs with the exception of the Director and Assistant Director and a handful of others. There is precious little you can do on a PC that you can't also do on a Mac, but the Mac is going to cost you at least twice as much as the PC, maybe more.

Switching from a PC to a Mac is an experience in frustration. You will have to learn the OS all over again. Some things are similar, like Cmd-A instead of Ctl-A, etc., but some things are completely different. Not having a right mouse button will cause you no end of frustration, until you figure it out. Getting the CD to eject will drive you batty.

Bottom line? If you want to spend a lot of money and start learning computers all over again, by all means, get a Mac. Once you learn how it works, you'll never look at PCs the same way again, especially if you're a computer power user. If all you want to do is browse the internet, engage in social networking, do your finances and handle documents, stick with the PC.

I use a 17" Mac Powerbook at home, but I also have a PC. The Powerbook is for work. The PC is for fun and personal use (finances, etc.) The PC cost me a little over $700. The Mac cost you (I'm a state employee) about $2200. (But don't worry. It's worth every penny you paid for it.)