I wanna buy a Mac. Can I use things like Messneger and Word and Excel on it? How does that work?

Question

OK all you mac users. I bought a Dell with Vista on it and I am ready to call Dell back and tell them to take their computer and shove it.....before I toss it out the window! Tell me all the great things about mac and convince me to switch. I am on the fence with this one.

Answer 1

Dells are like the best PC's ever. What could be wrong with it? I mean, if you buy the most cheapest and low-value one, then it won't be a wonder why it's so horrible. Get a mid-range or high-range Dell, they're great. Don't you see in the TV shows sometimes, where Dells are used, primarily as a gaming desktop? They're that cool. Dells are like one of the best PC makers out there. There's no reason to switch to a crappy bloated Mac. Macboys can tell you whatever about it, but it's just overpriced and "looks" special, only because it's rare. And the whole viruses and security thing, yeah right. The only reasons why PC's have so many viruses is because there are more PC's than macs. Bad guys will target the big system. If macs are so widely used, they're just going to eventually come down to that someday. PC's have experienced this for a long time, and they know lots of tricks and stuff, compared to Mac, who barely knows a thing. PC's are the way to go, and Dells are neat.

Answer 2

Without knowing what you want to do with it, here are three reasons.

One, things just work on a Mac. Mac users expect that when they install new hardware or software, it will work. There is no need to fear adding something to a Mac the way PC users fear making changes.

Two, there really are NO viruses attacking Macs in the wild.

Three, most people who switch to the Mac have only one regret: that they didn't make the switch sooner. During the first weeks after making the switch, most people are still skeptical. They can't believe that things can really be this easy, so they're waiting for the other shoe to fall. Also during this time, they're learning some of the Mac shortcuts (they are different from the PC) so they're not usually convinced at this point that it will be so easy. By the end of a month or so, they usually come to accept that the Mac really is much better than what they used to deal with, and they have the sense that all of their computing experience before switching was unnecessary trouble.

Here are some sites to check out:
http://www.macosxhints.com/ - especially their forums.
http://www.freemacware.com/
http://www.opensourcemac.org/
http://www.apple.com/getamac/
http://www.osxfaq.com/index.ws
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/15797 - A free Office type suite that is very good.

Answer 3

Well, what is wrong with your Dell with Vista?

I wouldn't convince you to buy a Mac because I don't know what you would be using it for. If all you are doing is Messenger, Word, and Excel, then by all means go buy one. They tend to produce less errors and are very user friendly as compared to Windows machines. However, if you are used to using Windows computers, then switching to a Mac will need an adjustment period.

It's really just personal preference, and I don't really think that one is any better than the other. But, for basic usage, I don't think you can go wrong with a Mac. They might be a little more expensive, but you are usually getting a better quality computer (especially pertaining to hardware) and their Support forums are very helpful if you have issues. Also, you can get support at their Apple stores.

Answer 4

Wow, this is the second time I've read a question like this. Vista really is that bad, eh? I don't blame you. I gave up on PCs with XP, I can't imagine how much worse things are in Vista. I've read a lot of bad things though. Okay... Here's your answers.

Messenger? You mean Yahoo! Instant Messenger, AIM or MSN? Well, it doesn't matter anyways, because you can use all of them on a Mac. I use Adium X, which you can set up multiple accounts to any of these messenger services, and many more. (It's easier than it sounds, really.)

Word and Excel? Well, you can buy Microsoft Office for Mac, or try out other solutions, such as iWork (which will soon feature a spreadsheet application similar to Excel) or a free, open-source solution, such as NeoOffice. NeoOffice is based on OpenOffice and it's highly compatible with and very similar to Microsoft Office. There are many options available to you as a Mac user. This whole "lack of software" rumor is nothing more than a myth. There's plenty of high quality software for the Macintosh. :-)

I could give you a many great reasons to buy a Mac, but it sounds like you've already heard a bit about them, right? I'd like to know what specific questions you may have, so feel free to send me a message. I'm always glad to help.

By the way, Mac software is not more expensive. How much is an upgrade to Vista? The next version of Mac OS X will likely cost $120. That's a steal, next to Vista. Keep in mind, Vista is really only a poor copy of Mac OS X Tiger.

Also, there's plenty of great Mac users out there to help you out when you need it. (Not that you'll be needing it as much, as Macs just work.) There might not be as many of us, but there are millions and growing. More and more people are switching to Mac every day. Most of my friends can't wait to get a Mac. I've helped quite a few people make the switch. People are coming to the realization that Windows really is a terrible product. People are beginning to realize that there is a better choice. I bought a Mac because I demand more from a computer. More than Windows could provide.

Answer 5

I have an ibook.
I have Microsoft Word X for Mac: it contains word, powerpoint, excel and a few other neat features. It works ok- if I have too many documents open or I paste too large an area it closes without warning but I always get a recovered backup file opened quickly. So you need to save more frequently- otherwise no diff from a pc.
I never ever ever have to worry about viruses.
I had IM but I un-installed it because I never use it.
I have a lot of pics and mp3s. I used it to record classes and then burn cd's to listen to my lectures again in the car.
I only have a few games in it.
I finally got DSL and a router so now I have wifi in the house as well as at school. It's heaven.
I have had macs since 1990. I am a mac person in a pc world and I can live with that.
One sucky thing- I have to electronically sign my FAFSA at my sister's house because their website won't tolerate mac. I ***** to the government every year but they never fix it so you can use mac to do it. And financial aid is a necessary thing.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

Get yourself an iMac, everything's in one unit except keyboard and the mouse of course. At macmall.com you can get an iMac with "Parallels" software for only $10 more . Parallels will allow you to run Windows XP on the Mac desktop simultaneously. You will have to get used to the Mac format but you will never want to go back to a PC. PC software, especially things like Vista is a reaction to the easy and user friendly aspects of Mac, they are still trying to catch up with the Mac. There are plenty of Mac user groups for support but you won't really need them because Macs are free of a lot of problems including being free from viruses. Don't be afraid, if you have the finances, go for it.

Answer 8

Keep your PC. Macs have more expensive software and less of it plus there are not that many in the Mac network to get help from - something like 8 to 10% of total sales. That fact should speak volumes.

Answer 9

yes you can but you have to get the ones for the mac os

Answer 10

Yahoo does have a Mac version http://messenger.yahoo.com/mac.php and Microsoft has a Mac version of exel http://www.mactopia.com

Mac's run faster, smoother, crash less often, and are far more secure and reliable than windows.