I would describe myself as one of he most diehard Microsoft supporter that you'll ever come across. I develop on the Windows Platform, I run all my servers on the Windows Platform, etc, etc. I preach Microsoft's products all the time; even if the conversation has nothign to do with computers.

So, why... why... do I want a Mac? It's not even one of those small desires that goes away eventually. I really want one. I basically think about getting a Mac every hour of every day.

Thanks to PearPC, I'm screwed even more. PearPC doesn't quench my thirst for Mac ownership; it just makes me more thirsty. How the heck can I live with this modestly slow performance? Right now, I'm on PearPC, and this is a P4 3.4ghz, with 1gb of DDR2 RAM, and a ATI Radeon X300 PCI Express x16 graphics card. Should be fast? No. Animations barely move, I can barely keep open Microsoft Entourage (mail app) without PearPC locking up from all the load.

The worst part is, an Apple computer with Mac OS X is hardly useful to me. Mac OS X is really the thing that is pulling me to the Mac platform. The only thing I can say about it, is that it is truely sexy. Not just any sexy, its like the sexy you dream about at night with the winning lottery ticket and the girls from the Windows NT core development team (and Dani.. ). The reasons for not getting a Mac are so valid: I can't develop the things I want to develop on it. The only thing it is good for is Final Cut Pro (which is Mac only). I'm hardcore into video, so this basically the sole reason to get a Mac (besides awesome OS X), so I'm kinda mentally saying that this is 'enough'. So, I would have a Mac right now, if only for the one problem.

The price. Has anyone looked up the prices for those things? To get something equivlent (well, comparable) on a PC, would be hundreds (if not thousands) less. I hate the eMac (my Mac would need to be sleek and sexy... no CRT crap ), the iMac isn't an option for me either (I want a tower; the all in one computer thing is not for me; I want to be able to open my case easily and make hardware changes, etc), and the G5 towers cost SOO much. I could get a "high-end" eMachines computer for the price of their cheapest LCD: $699.

Sorry, just wanted to let everyone know how screwed up my mind is. Thanks to Dani's G5, the G4 I use sometimes at a place I intern, and PearPC, I'm a mac owner wannabe.

Can someone from Apple see this post, and send me like $10,000 in free Mac hardware? Just a Dual G5 (any speed or configuration; as long as I had a nice-sized hard disk, and at least 1GB of ram) and two Studio Displays (maybe the 20", but the 17" is alright with me LOL) would be perfect. Heck, I'd even do one of those Mac switch commercials; "I switched to a Mac.. [insert whatever you want me to say here]. Hi, my name is Ryan Hoffman, and I'm a Microsoft .NET developer". That would sure turn heads :!:.

So, back to my PC :cry:.

That may not be true... Have you looked in to Apple's developer's software?

I have 5 Macs within my range of vision, and actually wouldn't mind selling one... but you won't want it...

The best way to find something you want is to find what you want, then WAIT. I'm going to get a Playstation 2 (I will NOT call that a "PS2". Too many IBM input devices have been good to me. I love those keyboards and mice, reason enough to get a PC alone. lol) for $150 rather than the $200 they were asking because I waited.

I'm a .NET Developer. Microsoft .NET stuff just can't be compiled/executed on a Mac (using Microsoft tools).

And, I'd probably take anything I could get now, but I probably don't have nearly enough money :o .

Oh, geeze. Aparently, Mac users are smarter then PC users.

Someone get me a Mac :cry: .

Macs for all their awsomeness are just as buggy as windows.

Ive been fighting for a week now with an OS9 imac, its hopeless at this point :/

Well, I don't really like OS9. OS X just rocks my socks off though .

Hello,

Zach, OS 9 was a nice OS to work with. Properly installed and configured, you too can have a lasting pleasent experience with it. I'm sorry to hear that you are having problems with OS 9... perhaps if you posted to the Mac Forum, we could look at the issue together.

Tek, you are evolving beyond the simple Windoze paradigm. You seek elegance; you want your computing time to be used to generate useful work instead of debugging things and finding out why this certain thing doesn't work.

No computer OS is perfect; the Mac OS comes pretty damn close. Compare all the Windoze (in)Security topics and all the requests for help in the forums.

I have seen word documents have problems with underlining on a Windoze box. Sent the document to a Mac. Didn't change a damn thing. Printed just fine. Print driver? Office version? Font problem? I dunno. I didn't care. The Mac did it right. There have been a number of times in a lab environment that people couldn't get something to print or display properly on the PC... took it to the Mac, and it flowed nicely.

As for cost, yes, a Mac will cost a little more initially. But when you purchase the PC, you do not see the costs of time on the phone with support people, or time installing and upgrading various spyware packages and antivirus. Yes OS X needs a firewall -- it has an easily customizable firewall provided, or you can do what I do and hide behind a Linux-based router and let her do the firewalling. I can count on two hands the amount of times I needed to reload my 1999 Powerbook G3 333 Mhz computer. I did it for each OS upgrade, (9 --> 10.1 --> 10.2 --> 10.3) and a couple times for partitioning while I did tests with YellowDogLinux. I also swapped hard drives once, and the new one died after 2 years, so I had to reload it about 4 months ago. Think about how many times people have had to reload Windoze.

And Crunchie will *never* be asked to look at your Mac's HJT log!

Tek, you might wish to look into a laptop. Mobile computing is all the more better, unless you need those digitial feeds or large hard drives. I love the laptop... partitioned out like a server, able to connect and store "locations" so I can go from place to place to place, hit a button, and all the settings from last time (in terms of networking) are restored.

Programs such as Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Illustrator, RagTime, OpenOffice, Fire, Mozilla, Filemaker Pro, Final Cut Pro, and Toast will allow you to be productive in many ways. With the BSD stuff working, you can also get into Unix programs, and compile your own stuff. No, you will not have .NET stuff, but there is life outside of that environment. If you really need .NET, keep your Windoze box alive, build a Citrix box, and connect via Citrix. The only real thing I see missing besides .NET is a Novell Client for the Mac. For whatever reason, Novell makes a free OS/2 client, but Mac people cannot get one. But in Netware 6.x, AFP file access is restored out of the box. Heck, you can get a RDP Client from Microsoft to remote manage 2000/2003/XP computers!

You might be able to get yourself a used Mac; but good luck; Mac people are dedicated to their hardware, and find uses for their old machines. My cousin is using my 7100 that I used in college from 1993 - 1997, and she does not complain about it being OS 9, 66 Mhz, and no DVD. She does her homework, looks for things on the internet, and prints to a Laser Printer. My G3 Server is being used as a YellowDogLinux platform. I could send you my LC from 1991-1993, but I am saving that for my future children, when they need something simple to run their learning software on.

Tek, you are Thinking Different. It's time for some fruit in your life!

Christian

(p.s. if you get a laptop, you can show Dani your new computer, and let her be the one in envy)

I've got a Centris 610 that I'd be willing to part with... Computer only. Don't expect much out of it, it doesn't even have a CD-ROM drive, and is missing the front cover for a CD-ROM drive (which makes me think someone took it out before donating it to the thrift store.)

It'll at least give you something to play with for the time being. I believe System 7.5.3 is on there. You'll have to get a Mac keyboard and mouse, and maybe monitor. (Most modern monitors work with an adapter. If a monitor can display 600x800x256, it can handle Mac video with an adapter.)

The Mac bug bit me too, and I must venture to say that neither OS 7, 8 or Windows 9x interface-wise is truely superior. (I do like Mac OS X, but it has its short comings too.)

I dunno, puckdropper. I own more pre OS X Macs than I can count on my fingers, and I must say that using OS X is, for some unspeakable reason to me, "cooler" than the other Mac OS versions. Don't get me wrong-- I love System 7.1, 8.6, and 9.1, but the first time I booted OS X.2, I looked down and thought, "Man, is that drool on the floor!?!?!"

If I had the choice between running OS X and an earlier version, I'd probably jump for OS X, too.

Well Tek i wonder if this would maybe supress (more on it here) your desire slightly until you raise the cash you would need . The theme will skin your whole pc, and it will appear to be a mac. Maybe just maybe it will make you slighlty more happier as you will still be able to work on .Net apps.

You can find more mac orientated DesktopX themes here
I hope you enjoy them
Nigel