need computer help
lukiedukie
Registered Users Posts: 46 Big grins
Hello everyone-
I need some help. My computer just gat infested with a bunch of viruses and I need to get a new one. I never had an apple and everyone who is in the photgraphy or any creative field recomends i get an apple instead of a dell or hp.
What do all of you use for your photography and what are the pros and cons to an Apple? I also need to use it to do word documents , excle ect.
please help.
thanks
I need some help. My computer just gat infested with a bunch of viruses and I need to get a new one. I never had an apple and everyone who is in the photgraphy or any creative field recomends i get an apple instead of a dell or hp.
What do all of you use for your photography and what are the pros and cons to an Apple? I also need to use it to do word documents , excle ect.
please help.
thanks
0
Comments
No viruses in Apple land
No codes or activation of the operating system -
G5 Imacs are competitive pricewise with similarly equipped midlevel Wintel boxes.
Macs connect with PCs nicely over your own home network
No activation required for Photoshop from Adobe in Apple land
blah, blah, blah....
Micorosoft Office is available for Macs and WOrd macro viruses won't work on a MAC
OpenOffice is available as an altenative to Office
I am a recent swapper, so I may be recently biased. There is a thread in te Accessories area here on dgrin re PC versus Mac with much of htis discussion there.
Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=1215 lots of good things here if you did not read it . or the short ver. get mac
“PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE ‘JAZZ’ FOR THE EYES…”
http://jwear.smugmug.com/
Get a Mac. You will be very happy you did.
I use a 12" Power Book G4. I wish I had bought the Super Drive option. Pretty much any current Apple product is just fine for photography, including the iBook and the eMac. With the current upgrade to the iBooks I can't actually recommend the 12" PowerBook anymore. In my mind, its iBook, or a 15" Power Book as the only logical choices.
The eMac is a great buy. For little money you can get a Super Drive and the CRT monitor is very nice. The new iMacs are very nice. G5 processor, nice LCD, slim design.
If you want extreme power, get a G5 Power Mac and a Cinema Display.
Microsoft Office for Mac is available. Plus all the other software you are likely to use in your daily life. As I like to tell friends, sure the PC world has more software, and 95% of it is junk you will never buy anyway.
A former sports shooter
Follow me at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bjurasz/
My Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/mercphoto?ref=hdr_shop_menu
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
Also, you might check out this free online scan from Computer Associates. The bummer is that you have to use Internet Explorer to use it. The good news is that it does a nice clean scour of your system.
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
Hi lukie,
I was a died-in-the-wool PC user (except at work, where I use Solaris/SPARC). When it came time to buy a new laptop, I splurged on a 15" Apple Powerbook. Within a couple of weeks, I found that I was using the Powerbook more than any other computer. Then the new G5 iMacs were introduced, so I bought a pair. And then bought an eMac for the kids. Now I'm a total switcher (some folks would call me MacWhore
If you need to do Word, you can of course get Word for Mac, or you can download Open Office for free, which is completely compatible (www.openoffice.org). I believe Appleworks (bundled in OS X) is also compatible to a certain extent. However, with Open Office, you've got presentations, drawing, word processing, and spreadsheets. Did I mention that it was FREE?
So far, there's only one application that I really want to run that's not currently available for the Mac - Doom3. And I understand the port is underway.
I use the mac for photography (iPhoto, Photoshop Elements, iDVD), work (open office, Cisco VPN3000, Safari (great java implementation), and Enact project collaboration), and music (iTunes). For fun, I'm playing Splinter Cell, Halo, and all the Burning Monkey games. I also do all my personal finances on it (Quicken) and come April, I'll be doing my taxes on it (Turbotax).
OS X is a robust Unix implementation, so it's stable, reliable, and you never get the blue screen of death.
Go for it.
"The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
Of course, we're forgetting how horribly ambigous the HTML language is. Or how Microsoft just loves to put in "enhancements" that only work on Internet Explorer (as they tried to do with Java until the courts rightfully blocked them from doing so). And then Microsoft sells web development tools that use those non-standard enhancements, and voila, people start writing web pages that work best on IE. Then they don't work on my linux box at work, or my Mac at home.
Yes, I have no love for Microsoft. And I work in this biz, I have inside information to draw my conclusions from.
A former sports shooter
Follow me at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bjurasz/
My Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/mercphoto?ref=hdr_shop_menu
Yes, you can run MS applications on a mac now, but that's in a subenvironment, so you might aswell be on a PC as you don't get any of the mac "advantages" that way. So what you're left with is repurchasing ALL of your software in Mac version which is simply not worth it. Or ditching your old programs and getting to know all new mac software, which is tedious.
I looked at this really closely when I went to upgrade my PC recently and once you know your pc shortcuts, there's really not very much difference between a top of the range vaio and a powerbook. Oh and I have never had a home owned PC (i.e. non office network) crash on me. For any reason.
In the past, I would agree Apple had a huuuuge headstart on PC when it came to creative stuff, but with the new graphics and soundcards on pcs that are designed to run high memory games and such like, I really don't see any advantage in apple anymore. (And my best friend's husband sits way up in apple r+d somewhere - they've been trying to convert me like their lives depended on it).
Show me something that I can do on a Mac that a.) I actually need to be able to do and isn't just a gimmick, and b.) that I am unable to do on my PC, and then I might consider a mac. Otherwise, my Vaio and I are very happy together. And it sings to me when it goes on screensaver
Those 60 viruses only effect earlier OSs, like OS9.
There is only one malware that effects OSX, and it's not much of a concern--you need to have local access and administrator privileges to install it. It's called Opener, and only showed up in the last month. It does point out that OSX is not completely invulnerable to attack, but I'd have to say that the odds are WAY in the Mac's favor. Like 60,000:1, if that, since local administrator access does not even make one, in my book.
Also of note, take a look at Secunia, a security tracking site. You can track security for many products there: how many problems there have been, if they've been patched, etc. There is simply no comparison between XP and OSX.
OSX
Windows XP Professional
Frightening that the Office of Homeland Security is running windows.
Anyone interested in an in-depth discussion of Opener can find it here.
And another explanation of it here.
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
And you can blaim that all on Microsoft. In an attempt to get the Mac more compatible with Word files, etc., you will open yourself to the vulnerabilities inherint in Microsoft software.
The solution is TO STOP USING SOFTWARE PRODUCTS THAT ARE CAUSING ALL THESE PROBLEMS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
I actually use the same argument the other way around when people tell me how much more software is available for the PC. My question is how much of that software will they actually buy and use, and what do they use their PC for that they can't do on a Mac. The answer is usually that they can do everything they want on either system.
So, what can you do on a Mac that you can't do on a PC? For one, I've never had to re-install Mac OS. I did that with Windows too often. I add memory or peripherals w/o having to go through that stupid BIOS setup. I update my firmware or operating system and things work, flawless. I buy a new printer, or external hard disk, or whatever, and it just works. And I have never had to remove Spyware, viruses, worms or the like. No infestations in 6 years of Mac ownership.
And my Mac seldom needs rebooting. We're talking months at a time. Never had that with Windows. But what I really lust at is the stability and power I'm used to at work from my unix workstations. IBM RS/6000 and Sun Sparc's can really spoil you in that regard, and we push our computers hard.
So, what can you do on a Mac that you can't with a PC? You can stop worrying about the PC and just start USING your computer.
A former sports shooter
Follow me at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bjurasz/
My Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/mercphoto?ref=hdr_shop_menu
I followed that link you provided, and it lists 40 advisories and "vulnerabilites" in OSX that have been patched in the last year, if I am reading it correctly. That includes some that read in part
So yes, they have been patched by Apple and are no longer a problem. And maybe they technically aren't "viruses"?
I didn't look at the Windows page, but I'm sure the number is slightly more than 40; like 22 bazillion or something.
Now that I have completely disregarded my own advice to Waxy (don't talk religion, politics, or OSes), I think I'll go start a thread entitled "If you aren't an orthodox christian, you aren't really a christian."
I didn't take that you were arguing against Apple. You're right, every OS requires that you be careful. I just wanted to clear the air about OSX. I actually do run anti-viral software, and think it's a good idea. Not because there are any current threats against OSX that I'm concerned about, but because I'm sure there will be eventually. It's just that the odds are overwhelmingly in your favor when you're running OSX.
Yes, all of the security patches have been made in OSX, and there are currently no unpatched security holes that have been reported. That being said, I just downloaded a security update for OSX to cover Safari, Apache and more.
If you had gone to the Secunia link for XP, you would have seen that the advisory is currently "Highly Critical" with 20 of 74 security advisories unpatched. OSX did not come out of the box without security problems, but the track record speaks for itself.
And I know that when I read about Windows users running 3 AV apps, and spyware apps on top of it, I cringe. Just not something that appeals to me.
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
Glad you understood my original intent!
My next job was on Sparcstations, that was cool. I learned some Unix, vi, grep, awk... That was fun stuff. Now it's mainly PCs.
Wouldn't mind one of those cool new Macs with a huge flat panel, if any of you folks are feeling generous this xmas!
In 10yrs of PC ownership, I have never had problems with any of the things you describe. I have no interest in converting you to PC. At all. But I do have a problem with MAC users hammering down on anyone who's buying a new computer that Apple is the only way to go, and that PC is the devil. It's like it's a religion. I don't try to cram my religion down your throat, please don't try to cram your OS down mine. I say that, not to you individually, but to all the Mac wallahs that have endlessly bent my ear in the pub over the years.
If you are a happy PC user (and you'd be surprised how many of us there are), then there is absolutely no reason not to upgrade the equipment you have, stay with PC, use the software you are familiar and happy with, and keep life simple. Mac does NOT give you anything you can't do on a PC.
And whether the original viruses came from MS programs or not is a moot point now. The real point is that Mac, by getting greedy and wanting to get it's hands on MS customers though cross over software, added compatibility, portals etc, is no longer immune to viruses and hence loses the one genuine bit of competitive advantage it once held.
Repeated specious arguments! "wanting to get its hands on MS customers through Crossover software"? The first 3rd party apps for the Mac were by MICROSOFT in 1984 or so. Microsoft Word! Microsoft Excel! In 1997, I think, MS invested $100 million in Apple and send 100+ programmers to Apple to develop Office 98. Research had shown that per person, Mac users bought more software than PC users. At that time, MS was selling $500 million a year to Mac users. Office 97 and Office 98 were document-compatible without any special software, just use of the properly formatted media for the desired platform. What in the heck is *wrong* with compatibility? To each his own. You have chosen. You have thrived. Many have not, the tales are legion. Consultants making lots of money for going back to the same customers for the same thing, over and over--it was acting in bad faith so I quit doing PC stuff.
And I don't get "Apple Getting Greedy"? Apple choosing to buy NEXT and developing their modern OS on a Unix base? I don't see in any way how a single small patch every few months in any way compares to the BEVY of patches that MS disgorges incredibly frequently for not only its OSs but all of those companion apps -- screensavers, media players, ActiveX, etc.
Apple is not trying to take over the world. MS has done a fine job of that. Apple is content to make the BMW of the computing world, and that OS happens to be well suited to novice users through pro creative users. That's the "genuine competitive advantage".
I can see why your friends have given up trying to convince you.
Galleries here Upcoming Ranch/Horse Workshop
My Advise to you is to stick with IBM compatable PC Not mac due to the savings and the affordability of the software. Remember a pro photograpgher will generally use an Apple because they learn on them and college tafes etc. and so they stick with somthing they know. Apple software is usually more expensive than Pc software and now you can get most pc software at resonable price and from anywhere. The big advantage to PC is the ease improvment and customising you can adapt the pc to which is limiting on a Mac. Thesedays everything in this field can be done on pc. I suggest that you buy a compatable pc and have it custom made for your needs. Not buy brand names like DELL and HP these use cheap parts and will not perform to your needs. I would use the best of everything to make the best PC.
Sorry, it is the truth!
Yeesh. Mac software costs the same as PC software, there has never been a premium for Mac software. Photoshop is Photoshop. Office is Office. Plug-ins cost the same, whatever platform. You are misinformed. If you'd like to offer some proof that Mac software costs more, I'm all ears.
Galleries here Upcoming Ranch/Horse Workshop
"The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson
Yup. I lost interest in this thread when some PC fan tried to convince us that Apple was the greedy one in this biz. So much disinformation.
A former sports shooter
Follow me at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bjurasz/
My Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/mercphoto?ref=hdr_shop_menu
Its kind of like riding a motorcycle - If you have to explain it to someone, I guarentee they won't understand
Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
What ever happened to lukiedukie?
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
Lukie's computer was laid to rest unfortunately. Computer repair people did everything they could but the system was completely consumed by viruses.
She and I are buisness partners and I have a MAC and was trying
to lure her to my side (the transition was rough personally but I love my Powerbook now
I was not sucessful in getting her to worship the MAC however. She got an awesome deal on a powerful DELL laptop and transfered all her orginal software onto it. This time though, she bought all the virus protection out there possible so hopefully it won't happen again. She spent less than half of what I spent and has a really nice machine.
Just some observations on this controversial thread.....as I said before I love my Mac and as far as photo editing goes, it is the bomb! However, PC's have much more flexibility when it comes to software. There is just alot more out there excluding the PHotoshop series (that won't break the bank) for the PC user.
I know my MAC was worth every penny but I wish it was as inexpensive as what Lukie's cost because then I could have used the $$ difference to add another 20D to our collection.
The PC/MAC controversy continues.............
Operating System Design, Drivers, Software
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