Hello all again,
About a week ago I posted a message asking for input on whether I
should move from a PC to a Mac. I was particularly concerned with the
higher costs of a Mac and if one can run Windows programs such as
ArcGIS and some statistics packages. I received ~200 e-mailed
responses from Ecolog alone, not to mention the dozens that I received
from my additional efforts.
So this is what I?ve decided: Buy a MacbookPro (if you want a
laptop), put at least 2GB of in it (more memory means that ArcGIS will
run more smoothly), and install Windows XP on the Mac. Apparently, you
can run Windows on a Mac by either booting directly into Windows on
your Mac via Bootcamp, or you can run it simultaneously through
Parallels or Fusion. That means, apparently, that you can install and
run any Windows-based programs on your Mac (but only if you have an
Intel processor on your Mac, which all the new laptops seem to have).
Cost- It looks like a Mac is not that much more expensive than a
comparably equipped PC. Mac offers substantial discounts to students
and it is rumored that the prices of their Macbooks and MacbookPros
will be dropping this fall as Apple is releasing new versions of both
systems. Even though most people agree that Macs are a bit more
expensive than a PC, they all seem to agree that they are well worth
the extra money; less viruses, more stable OS, less maintenance, etc.
But, if you?re scared of Vista and you?re not sure you want to
learn how to use a Mac (many responses mentioned the learning curve
when switching to a Mac), you can still buy new PCs with Windows XP on
them.
So that?s the summary. In case I did a poor job, I?ve pasted a few
tidbits of advice that some of the responders had below:
??to a PC as far as speed, stability, boot up time, lack of viruses,
and openness go. It is especially good if you are going towards open
source software such as Grass for GIS or R.?
?macs tend to last longer.?
?pages is better than word and keynote is better than powerpoint.?
?Excel is better than Mac?s equivalent, but you shouldn?t be using
Excel for stats when there are superior packages out there that will
run on Macs.?
??should also take a look at Linux -- keep the Dell just ditch Vista.?
?I bought a new Dell and paid $99 for it to come with XP rather than
Vista. They call it Genuine Windows Vista Downgrade, XP Pro Installed."
?I saw that about 1/4 to 1/3 of all laptops the ESA meeting last week
were Macs.?
??cost is actually quite similar, and macs have a higher resale value.?
?I just don't really support apple as a serious counterpart - they
seem more bent on finding the next trend than supplying reliable work
solutions, especially for scientific endeavors.?
??get the extra memory, especially for GIS if you?ll have to install XP too.?
Here are a bunch of links sent to me in responses for those of us
thinking about making the switch:
http://www.dell.com/content/products/category.aspx/desktops?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd
http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/
http://www.parallels.com/en/products/desktop/
http://www.opensourcemac.org/
http://www.freemacware.com/
http://macspecialist.org/content/articles/essential_apps/
http://grass.itc.it
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/apple-mac-leopard-windows-vista,1985.html
http://www.macworld.com/article/134373/2008/07/laptop_price.html?lsrc=mwweek
http://www.pcworld.ca/news/article/9853b173c0a800060058871f78388129/pg0.htm
http://features.csmonitor.com/innovation/2008/08/04/new-peeks-at-a-post-windows-future/
http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/
Thanks again to all that responded. I?m sure all of your responses
will help me and many others in our decisions.
Scott
Scott D. LaPoint
Graduate Student
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
243 Illick Hall
Syracuse, NY 13210
