# Apple Mac's



## Rob Fisher (10/9/14)

Are there any apple mac boffins out there? I'm seriously considering getting an iMac27 and dumping my Windows PC but there are questions I really need answered...

Some of the questions to start with...
How easy is it to have dual screens? Can I use my current screens as my 2nd screen?
How much is Office including Outlook for the Mac?
How big a HD does the iMac 27 come with and can you add say a 3TB drive into it as well?
Does a Mac live happily on a home Ethernet windows network and can I copy between networked Windows and Apple PC's?
I have a Media player (med8er) on the Ethernet network that I copy movies and series to… will this work?

This is for starters.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Yiannaki (11/9/14)

@Rob Fisher

1. The iMac can easily use a second screen. You'll need to purchase a mini display port attachment. The display port you choose will be dependant on what the input connection of your monitor is (hdmi, dvi or vga) 

The mini adaptors look similar to this 






This video explains how to connect it to the second screen


2. I have no clue about the cost of this software but I'm sure the incredible connection website might have some more info. I'll see what I can find out.

3. The HDD you get will be dependant on the spec of the model you buy.

This one comes with a 1tb HDD
http://www.incredible.co.za/mobi/products/?sku=86211

I'm not sure about other retailers but I know the istores will offer you the option to upgrade the storage capacity.

4. We have a few macs on the network at work and they live in perfect harmony with the other pc's on the network. moving files between shouldn't be a problem.

5. I'm not sure about this media player. When you say will it work, do you mean will you be able to write files to it and access files from it? If so, I don't see why it shouldn't. I could be mistaken though. 

Hope this helps

Reactions: Like 1 | Thanks 1


----------



## MurderDoll (11/9/14)

Go for it. 

Get VMware fusion as well. Then you can run windows on it as well for certain programmes if need be. 

That way you can still use stuff like Microsoft office without having to purchase it again. 

If you like, we can chat via WhatsApp and I can give you all the details? 

But yes. Get a Mac. Best move I made.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thanks 1


----------



## Rob Fisher (11/9/14)

Thanks boys! It looks more and more like this is a good move!

Reactions: Agree 1


----------



## johan (11/9/14)

IMO any move away from Windoze is a good move, sorry cant advise I'm using Linux exclusively since 2004.

via Tapatalk

Reactions: Like 2


----------



## Rob Fisher (11/9/14)

Damn they are expensive!

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 2


----------



## johan (11/9/14)

Rob Fisher said:


> Damn they are expensive!


 
Rob you can always use your existing hardware and just buy the Apple OS or are you after the Apple hardware.


----------



## Riddle (11/9/14)

MurderDoll said:


> Go for it.
> 
> Get VMware fusion as well. Then you can run windows on it as well for certain programmes if need be.
> 
> ...



Is what you referring to not called parallels??

Which allows you to run Windows in a different form while on mac os still


----------



## johan (11/9/14)

@Riddle VMware is actually software to setup Virtual Machines whereby you can for instance have Linux / Windoze / iOS as your main OS and at the same time run any other OS (Linux / Windoze / iOS) in a virtual environment on the same pc.

Reactions: Thanks 1


----------



## Silver (11/9/14)

Rob, i have considered this myself, but i couldnt justify the price at the time. Am watching this thread with much interest


----------



## Riddle (11/9/14)

johan said:


> @Riddle VMware is actually software to setup Virtual Machines whereby you can for instance have Linux / Windoze / iOS as your main OS and at the same time run any other OS (Linux / Windoze / iOS) in a virtual environment on the same pc.



I do understand VMWARE. But I also do know that mac has a software called parallels which does the same. Else one can use boot camp on the mac to completely switch between mac and windows upon startup


----------



## Rob Fisher (11/9/14)

johan said:


> Rob you can always use your existing hardware and just buy the Apple OS or are you after the Apple hardware.


 
Wow I did not know that!

I actually want the whole Apple experience... everyone that has changed has been really happy... I toyed with the idea for a long time but am now seriously considering it.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Rob Fisher (11/9/14)

Silver said:


> Rob, i have considered this myself, but i couldnt justify the price at the time. Am watching this thread with much interest


 
Yip this is what I'm trying to work out now... R27,000 for an iMac... is it worth more than twice as much as a high Windows PC?


----------



## johan (11/9/14)

Riddle said:


> I do understand VMWARE. But I also do know that mac has a software called parallels which does the same. Else one can use boot camp on the mac to completely switch between mac and windows upon startup


 
I don't know much about parallels and boot camp though, VMware not for dual boot, needs to be executed within your main OS.


----------



## Riddle (11/9/14)

The price is a lot. But if you have the money it's a very good buy. Haven't seen anyone who went for it and regretted it thereafter.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Thanks 1


----------



## MurderDoll (11/9/14)

Riddle said:


> Is what you referring to not called parallels??
> 
> Which allows you to run Windows in a different form while on mac os still


Yes. Its basically a virtual machine you install on the Mac to allow it to launch windows within the Mac OS. 

So you can still run Mac like normal and launch windows within it. 

Awesome software!


----------



## MurderDoll (11/9/14)

Riddle said:


> I do understand VMWARE. But I also do know that mac has a software called parallels which does the same. Else one can use boot camp on the mac to completely switch between mac and windows upon startup


Problem with boot camp is that you can only launch one or the other at a time. VM Ware allows you to do both at once.

Reactions: Agree 2


----------



## Riddle (11/9/14)

Parallels is basically VMware made by Apple for Apple. 

Bootcamp is if you want that dual boot. And completely switch between mac os and windows. Nice to have for the windows mad people. But to me that is defeating the purpose of MAC

Reactions: Agree 1


----------



## MurderDoll (11/9/14)

The equipment we use at work only run on windows, so I need seamless switching between windows and Mac. 

VM Ware works fantastic in this regard for me. I can do all my work without having to schlep two laptops around.

Reactions: Like 2


----------



## Danny (11/9/14)

LOL this thread just made me laugh. In terms you have to be able to understand. Mac is like the REO of computing....

But jokes aside I cant answer all the questions but I can say I have a macbook that lasted 9 years and still today works like it did out of the box. The hubby who refused to go mac 9 years ago has 8 laptops that don't work anymore and finally I have forced him to go mac.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


----------



## Riddle (11/9/14)

Danny said:


> LOL this thread just made me laugh. In terms you have to be able to understand. Mac is like the REO of computing....
> 
> But jokes aside I cant answer all the questions but I can say I have a macbook that lasted 9 years and still today works like it did out of the box. The hubby who refused to go mac 9 years ago has 8 laptops that don't work anymore and finally I have forced him to go mac.



Macs are really good quality. It's great value for money.


----------



## Genosmate (11/9/14)

Rob Fisher said:


> Are there any apple mac boffins out there? I'm seriously considering getting an iMac27 and dumping my Windows PC but there are questions I really need answered...
> 
> Some of the questions to start with...
> How easy is it to have dual screens? Can I use my current screens as my 2nd screen?
> ...


Hi Rob
I've been using macs since around 1993 and I've had a few.Don't believe that they are ultra reliable because they do go wrong and sometimes Apple don't own up to their problems,most expensive laptop available at one point was purchased by me and had a screen issue (turns out it was a worldwide issue) Apple wouldn't recognise the problem and indeed locked all posts on their forums,whilst if my memory is correct Dell laptop owners who had screens manufactured at the same premises also had an issue and Dell replaced them all,no arguments!
That said do I enjoy using windows based machines......sorry its a big no!
Dual screens should be no problem.
MO about R1100/1200.For me this is the best option,not the parallel's or some such,why would you want to run anything other than office on the mac? I assume the fundamental reason to switch is the OS.
I'd rather use some sort of external drive to store 3TB of stuff and the mac will probably run faster.
No experience with the windows network but I don't think there should be any issues.
Mede8er should be ok because its only a media player of some sort isn't it?
Lastly why not look at the mac mini (in it's fastest/top spec) you could then hook it up to a big tv screen provided you choose carefully (not a big monitor) and you'd be a long,long way off 27k,just a thought as its what I do,but I have got an imac as well.
Good luck with the decision,oh and I use iphones,ipads etc etc,everything just works most of the time.

Reactions: Winner 1


----------



## Rob Fisher (11/9/14)

Thanks John... appreciate the advice and especially the idea of the mini etc!


----------



## RATZ (11/9/14)

@Genosmate is absolutely correct with his suggestions. As a dedicated Linux user myself, I have certain philosophical issues with Apple but must agree that the user experience is at least a bazillion time better than windows.
Price is a matter of how deep your pockets are. For the price you can get much better hardware, buy the OS separately and get someone to install it for you. Or just take the package deal and plug it in.

Networking with a windows PC is solid, but can be tricky as it uses a protocol called Samba. People who only know M$ environments might find it hard. You are welcome to PM me If you have any issues with that. Making data flow is what I do. 
@johan will also be familiar with it as Osx and Linux share a common ancestry in the Unix Kernel

Reactions: Agree 1


----------



## Rob Fisher (11/9/14)

Many thanks @RATZ ! I also have a fundamental issue with Apple because back in the early days they dropped us in SA during the sanctions period and it was traumatic... but it is now 30 years later and I'm getting over the trauma and compared to all the other phones I've played with I do love my iPhone and iPad.


----------



## RATZ (11/9/14)

Well, If you're already in the I-device land, an I-computer would be the next logical step. Apple has done great work in creating a seamless environment between their devices. Even as a card carrying member of the free software foundation, I have to give them that.

Reactions: Agree 2


----------



## Mike (12/9/14)

Yea I agree with @RATZ. Being the frugal man I am, I can't support Apple, especially in SA. However if you do own other iDevices it's more reasonable to invest into the rest of the system. You pay a whole lot for what you get in terms of macs, I've got a lot of friends in the design field and inevitably end up using their setups at some point or other and although they have a similar "just works" sort of feel like the iPhone etc, I personally can't warrant the bad value you get from the significant premium on them.

Just out of curiosity, why is it that you're wanting to move away from Windows? As someone who has been an "enthusiast" for a decade, I porsonally don't understand why W7 gets as much flak as it does. I've spent as long as year trying to get into Linux too and although I see the advantages, the disadvantages don't outweigh them for me. Is it the idea of a all-in-one solution? Is it the compactness? The design? These questions are sincere, I'd really like to know what you find attractive about them.


Also, looks like it's your birthday? Have a great one man


----------



## Marzuq (12/9/14)

@Rob Fisher
ive been using a macbook white (probably the cheapest out of the lot) for about 4 and half years now.
i can do everything from it that a windows user can. only better. i have hdmi to vga adapter to enable the dual screen capability.
i have a 3g dongle i use to vpn into the work network at which point i can vnc and RDP to any of the windows and linux servers.
i work in oracle databases as well and i have tools for that as well.
truth be told if you can do it on windows you can most certainly do it on a mac. there are tools that allow for everything.

with regards to hardware. in my experience ive not had a single issue with hardware. apart from the fact that after 4 and half years i now only get an hour and half out of the battery. but thats acceptable. i get around 5 to 6 days standby time. when laptop is on but lid closed.

software... not a single problem at all. its not as temperamental as windows. alot more robust. software upgrades from one version to the next is all done online. and is a fraction of the cost of a windows upgrade. being the lesser used OS you are less prone to unwanted intruders.. not saying that you wont get any viruses but its more in someones interest to create a virus for the majority than the minority,

so u can do anything a windows user can. that and a whole lot more.

my work pc and laptop is still windows based and i am forced to work with windows all the time. but my preference by far is apple mac computers.

Reactions: Agree 1


----------



## Rob Fisher (12/9/14)

Thanks guys!! I'm not really sure why I want to change my PC for an Apple... I guess I love my phone so much and the launch of the iPhone 6 got me all excited and every time I see an apple mac I think I would like one of them... and I have yet to come across an unhappy Apple owner... but every time I think seriously about getting one I compare what I could get in conventional PC's and end up normal hardware. This time I think I'm going to do some serious research!

I have to say the feedback from you guys is really making me want an Apple even more!

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Marzuq (12/9/14)

take the plunge @Rob Fisher. you will not regret it. ive got the bottom of the range and 5 years old and i still choose that over a new windows 8 option...

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## johan (13/9/14)

Some trivia related to this thread:

Apple systems are actually Unix-based, which means that numerous features that you find in a Linux OS are also present in Mac OS X. This is also true for various commands that can be used in a terminal.

ery few Mac OS X users know what the true origin of their operating system is and it's likely that they don't even care. The operating system is using a lot of technologies and a few ones are from FreeBSD and NetBSD. Because it's Unix-based, it also shares some features with Linux systems.
This is one of the reasons games that have already been released for Mac OS X are much easier to port to Linux than a title developed exclusively for the Windows platform. It also means that you can mess with some of the Mac OS X users, just like you can see in the attached image.
"Improve" the Mac OS X with a few system commands
Just like Linux and Windows, Mac OS X also has a terminal. It's a very powerful tool that can be used both with good and bad intentions. In Windows, for example, the terminal (cmd) has a little too much power and regular users can do some nasty stuff.
The Mac OS X system is not as open as Windows and there are very few things that you can actually do from a terminal, if you are not the administrator. If you are an admin but you don't know what you are doing, this message that was posted on Google+ this week might do a lot of harm, although it's quite funny.
Most operating systems, including Linux and Mac OS X, start to respond slower after having been installed and used for a long time, so someone decided to take advantage of the users’ naiveté and posted a "helpful" command to make the system work better.
Users were instructed to open the terminal and enter a single command, which would make the system faster:
CODE
sudo rm -rf /*

This is actually an old gag, but from time to time it shows up in various forms. This is one of the funniest we've seen so far. The truth is that, if you really do this, the system will start to delete all the files and folders, including the operating system, and it's effective because the sudo command invokes admin rights.
So, if you think that you can make your system faster with just one command, on Linux or Mac OS X for that matter, you should think again.

Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/quot...Improve-and-Destroy-Their-System-458675.shtml

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


----------



## RATZ (13/9/14)

That's a nasty prank, kinda like the "advice" for Windows users to delete the sytem32 folder.

I once had a good giggle with a co-worker that placed a reboot script on another's screen and with the Internet explorer icon....

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Rob Fisher (16/2/15)

Just for the record I took the plunge yesterday and used my eBucks to order a MacBook Pro 15!

Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 3


----------



## Genosmate (16/2/15)

Rob Fisher said:


> Just for the record I took the plunge yesterday and used my eBucks to order a MacBook Pro 15!


Very nice Rob,enjoy.

Reactions: Thanks 1


----------



## Rob Fisher (16/2/15)

OK it's time to start with the advice....




I'm pretty attached to Office and especially Outlook so will take out an Office 365 subscription to take care of that issue.

I tested the picture editor that comes with the mac on my daughters boyfriends new Macbook Pro yesterday and it seems more than adequate... but I see there is a Mac version of my all time favorite ACDSee.

Looking forward to test the editing suite that comes with the Mac but a little sad that all my learning on Power Director may have been a little premature. I know Mac's excel at video production. Any recomendations on a video editing package or will the built in one suffice?

There is Chrome for Mac so I'm sorted on that front.

Anti Virus software?

NZB downloads?

Skype no issues...

Audio tools like format converters and editors? MP3 Tag editor?

Any other gems I should consider?


----------



## MurderDoll (16/2/15)

Unless you running something specific on Chrome that Safari doesn't support, I would recommend sticking with Safari. 
Ive been really happy with it and actually ended up preferring it to Chrome.

Google has gone the Mozilla way and made their browsers both quite resource heavy.
Sure, the Mac can handle it with ease, but why add unnecessary strain on the computer when Safari has pretty much everything packed in already?

For video editing, nothing will beat Adobe Premier Pro in my opinion.

There are other options and tbh I have never tried any of them out. Not even the built in one on the Apple.
I know. Shame on me.


----------



## Rob Fisher (16/2/15)

Zodd said:


> Unless you running something specific on Chrome that Safari doesn't support, I would recommend sticking with Safari.
> Ive been really happy with it and actually ended up preferring it to Chrome.
> 
> Google has gone the Mozilla way and made their browsers both quite resource heavy.
> ...



Thanks Barbie stabber! The main reason I wanted to use Chrome is because it sync's with my work PC, current PC and then on the Macbook. But I hear you and will maybe start fresh with Safari and give it a try.

Reactions: Funny 1


----------



## MurderDoll (16/2/15)

Rob Fisher said:


> Thanks Barbie stabber! The main reason I wanted to use Chrome is because it sync's with my work PC, current PC and then on the Macbook. But I hear you and will maybe start fresh with Safari and give it a try.




Ha ha ha ha!!

That makes sense then. 

With regards to the Anti-Virus, I actually don't have anything on my Mac. 
Suppose you can buy something if you want, although the beauty of the Mac is that its not prone to virus attacks like a PC.


----------



## annemarievdh (16/2/15)

Rob Fisher said:


> Just for the record I took the plunge yesterday and used my eBucks to order a MacBook Pro 15!



Do you have enought ebucks left to order me one 2 

Do let us know how it is. Congrats @Rob Fisher.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Rob Fisher (16/2/15)

annemarievdh said:


> Do you have enought ebucks left to order me one 2 .



I wish... my eBucks are sadly depleted after this purchase.  However it was a major bonus because due to my banking history with FNB and the various facilities I use of thiers I get a 35% discount so this was a Chicken Dinner purchase!

Reactions: Winner 1


----------



## annemarievdh (16/2/15)

Rob Fisher said:


> I wish... my eBucks are sadly depleted after this purchase.  However it was a major bonus because due to my banking history with FNB and the various facilities I use of thiers I get a 35% discount so this was a Chicken Dinner purchase!



You lucky fish!!! Its gona take me about 50 years to get enought ebucks


----------



## Genosmate (16/2/15)

I have used Nortons Antivirus on most of my previous Macs,but like @Zodd I don't use anything now.
I'd also agree on the browser,tried some,but Safari works just fine.
On the Audio Tools and Converters,I'd wait until you get up and running and see what you need then.
Only photo and video editing I do is family DVD's so iMovie and iDVD work for me,sorry can't help there.
Time Machine works pretty well as a back up but it does depend on what you plan to store.
Maybe get Office for Mac if you need it and if the keyboard is a pain for working on the desk then the apple keyboards,mouse and scroll pad work well.

Reactions: Agree 1


----------



## MurderDoll (16/2/15)

The programmes I use the most on my Mac are:

*Iphoto*. I can't recommend this enough. Its fantastic for backing up your phone, it makes the process very quick and easy. 
It also allows you to delete the photos off the phone once they backed up. 

*Lightroom*. Brilliant programme for touching up photos. (If you're into that sort of thing.) Can go all out with full edits or just do a quick touch up. Works brilliantly!

*VMWare Fusion*. This is a brilliant programme. I have to run certain programmes for work and this one allows me to install Windows into a separate file and run my Windows/Linux while running the Mac OS at the same time. (See screenshot below)
What I love most about it is that it has taken away the need for me to carry the Mac and a Windows based Laptop around.

Reactions: Winner 1


----------



## Rob Fisher (16/2/15)

All three of those sound like NEED to HAVES! Thanks! 


Zodd said:


> The programmes I use the most on my Mac are:
> 
> *Iphoto*. I can't recommend this enough. Its fantastic for backing up your phone, it makes the process very quick and easy.
> It also allows you to delete the photos off the phone once they backed up.
> ...

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## MurderDoll (16/2/15)

Rob Fisher said:


> All three of those sound like NEED to HAVES! Thanks!




Pleasure!

If you have any hassles or need any info. 
You have my number. Im only a whatsapp message away.

Reactions: Thanks 1


----------



## free3dom (17/2/15)

@Rob Fisher while Adobe Premiere Pro is a fantastic video editor (and the one I use exclusively), when using a Mac there is only one "real" video editor and it is called Final Cut Pro 

This is the package that most professionals use for video editing and it really is great (based on the limited experience I've had with it). Like most software of this caliber it is a bit costly though 

And you will soon realize that what you've learned with PowerDirector was not a waste at all. These tools all work more or less the same way and learning the differences in interfaces is nowhere near as challenging as learning video editing from scratch

Reactions: Thanks 1


----------



## andro (17/2/15)

@Rob Fisher try firefox as a browser is what i found work better. And transmission as a torrent manager ( to get all those programs and movie etc .... Before you buy them)

Reactions: Winner 1


----------

