I've been Mac for 4+ years and will never go back. After Intuit screwed Mac users when Lion came out and many Quicken users–like me–found out the hard way that the latest version of Quicken of Mac would not work with Lion 

Ha! Well to be fair, it was Apple''s fault, not Intuit''s. Apple switched from PowerPC architecture to Intel back in 2006.That was fine because Apple had created a PowerPC emulator called Rosetta to run old PowerPC applications during the transition. Apple, in its infinite wisdom, decided to unilaterally drop Rosetta from Lion. This would have been fine if they'd given sufficient notice for application developers to make the switch, but they didn't. Developers didn't even get a preview of the new OS until March of 2011 (it went live in July). Even then, Inuit potentially didn't know about the incompatibility until just before Lion launched because Apple is famously known for providing poor documentation for releases. It would have been impossible for Inuit to know before March 2011, though.

There's no way Intuit could have ported the existing functionality over in time for launch with the short lead time they had. Even if Quicken had released an update in 2008, 2009, and 2010 it wouldn't have mattered. It still wouldn't have worked with Lion because Apple decided to pull the rug out from under them without giving any notice. To be honest, a 9 month turn-around for a port of a program that complicated to an entirely new platform is impressive. I've spend over a month before doing a port from Windows XP to Windows 7, which is far less work.

In reality, Apple screwed over both Intuit and its own users. They should have told everybody well in advance they were going to switch off Rosetta once and for all. They had 5 years to do it. At worst, they could have warned users at upgrade that they had programs that wouldn't run after the update. It would have been easy for them to do. Complain all you want, but complain about Apple and the way they do business.

In general, in my view, all the scary stories about compatibility issues, etc. designed to sustain Microsoft's monopoly are largely bunk. I've had zero problems. You can get Office for Mac software and create all the Office docs you want, no one will know the difference. And there are some great websites out there (search "PC to Mac transition" or similar) that help you make the switch.

Just my 2 cents...

http://gizmodo.com/5075525/why.....hed-laptop

I use both and love it...all on the web , nothing to download.

I have a MacBook Pro, iPad 2, and an iPhone.  I have never had any of the issues with the Mac as I have had with the PCs that I have owned over the years.

 

Get a Mac Robert!

Do you use any personal finance software?  My biggest concern is not being able to use Quicken for investments.

Get a Mac Robert!

For my personal use, I prefer PC because I'm familiar with it and I don't see the benefits of buying a Mac.  Because I don't see the added benefits the price difference alone turns me off from the Mac.  I also don't feel like using a pc all day and then switching to a Mac outside of my 9-5 job.

If I did get a Mac I would probably just run Windows on it anyway.

I use both Macs and PCs on a daily basis for both work and pleasure. I slightly prefer my current Windows setup because it's easier to use, slightly faster than the newer Macs (you have to get the solid state drive, though), and crashes less often. My Mac at work craps out all the time, mostly when I'm trying to do something stupid. Then again, everybody seems to love their iPads and I don't really like mine that much, so to each his own. Other people find its interface "intuitive," I find it annoying and difficult to work with. It's all personal preference. Neither platform is empirically better than the other. If you want the best of both worlds and don't mind the learning curve, perhaps give linux a try. You'll probably eventually like it better than both.

MyJourneytoMillions said:

I can't get over the price.  It is mind boggling that a laptop STARTS at the $1200 range in 2012

If I upgraded my current PC to the same type of components, it would be around the same price though...

No chance Robert. A simple search on Amazon Shows 23 PC options for less expensive on an i7, 4gig ram, 15 - 16in monitor. The cheaper macs seem to be at the 13inch size which makes my eyes hurt even thinking about it. 

Even if macs last for double the time I can buy one for half the price (with the same guts) and then replace it in 3 or 4 years, come out ahead AND have newer technology sooner. 

I've never had an issue with it yet. As for the price, it was a little higher, but the place I bought it from had them on sale over the holidays, so I picked it up then.

As for PF software, Quicken is horrible. I use Money4, which has been great for me. (For what it's worth, I was a die hard MS Money guy for years.)

I can't get over the price.  It is mind boggling that a laptop STARTS at the $1200 range in 2012

Look for open box ones. Just snagged a Macbook Air for sister (who fell in love with mine) for $599. Mind you I got from a friend who runs an authorized dealership, but if you don't mind the open box part, you can get them cheaper. (Now if that isn't a PF blogger statement,  I dont know what is.)

My point is, it IS a different interface, and if you are used to PC, there will be a "getting used to" curve. In the end, it is up to you whether your stated benefit of seamless integration is worth having to climb that curve.

Like what Andrea was saying about startup, Macs boot up and shut down quick.  There's no looking at your icons, pressing them, then they don't work so you click again, get fed up, then computer actually finishes booting and 15 of the program you clicked pop up.  

That the computer works when you need it is a MAJOR productivity plus.

I remember having to always check for viruses and trojans and such on my PC.  I still check on my Mac but nothing gets found, unlike the ones that would sneak through on my PC.