Lifetime Windows user switched to a Mac, never going back (except for games)
928536
So long story short I have been using PC's since the days of DOS. Stuck around with PC's till Windows 8.1, which was my last machine. I started looking at Macs because I was tired of dealing with spyware/adware, and I am an extremely careful user, it isn't like I go download warez. Also networking PC's together for an amateur got difficult a lot of the time. So I decided to switch and I sold my Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro and bought a 13" Macbook Pro.

I should have switched a long time ago.

It seems like everything in the Apple ecosystem is designed around what is easier for the user, what is more convenient, rather than the Windows approach which is to force a particular method of operation on you.

My observations:

Magsafe magnetic power cord. Pure genius. I have damaged several laptop jacks over the years because of either myself tripping over power cords, or people tripping over power cords. It might sound crazy, but the MagSafe power cod was my main reason for going to Mac. I am not sure when the patent will run out and PC's can get it, but it works flawlessly.

Glass trackpad: Simply the best in the industry. Many companies have tried to duplicate it and they have all failed IMO. The trackpad on my last machine was horrible. Apple has it down with the many gestures, they all work flawlessly.

Design: Solid aluminum, this is built like a tank.

OS:X. Well I love it. Blows Windows 8.1 out of the water.

The only downsides about Apple products is the price. But you do get what you pay for. PC's are way cheaper, but if you have a problem with your computer you can't go online, make an appointment and talk with someone. The Genius bar is awesome. Sometimes you get free advice sometimes they charge you.
3651202
When I decided to switch to Mac, I still needed Windows to run legacy applications.  The Move-To-Mac feature worked like a charm and cloned my PC to my new iMac without any glitch whatsoever, a very impressive start considering my Windows installation was about 75GB.  The performance is very good, and the integration with the Mac interface is outstanding.  Using Coherence mode, a Windows application runs in a Mac window just like a Mac application.  Simply one of the most well-designed pieces of software I have ever seen, and a better Windows experience on a Mac than on a Windows PC!
4616491
I adore my MacBook.  Despite being a longtime Mac user, I almost did not buy a Mac when it came time to buying a laptop.  I figured that I could buy a cheaper Windows machine that was just as powerful.  Thank goodness I came to my senses!  My husband had been through three laptops in the time that I had owned my Mac desktop, so that didn't portend well for those machines.  And then both my daughter (a longtime Windows user who opted to go MacBook for college) and a few of my own college students convinced me to take a serious look at this computer.  Wow.

Pros:

-- AirPort connectivity.  On the road, while my husband is fiddling around on his Windows computer to connect to a new network, my daughter and I are already surfing the web.  The MacBook also comes with Bluetooth capability.

-- OS X (now up to Leopard).  Until you've used OS X, you have no idea what you've been missing.  The users interface is so seamless that even the uninitiated can figure it out.  You can create a Dock with all your favorite applications at the bottom of the screen -- all the time. Windows users have to be careful not to make things more complicated than they need to be.  I know people who try to set up directories and files the way they do on Windows, when everything is SO much simpler on the Mac.  Forget all that "My Computer" stuff to switch drives/discs.  Everything is displayed all the time in the directory windows.  Because OS X has so many features, I can't go into them here.  Trust me -- you'll love it.

-- Size.  I can slip this computer into an oversized handbag without a problem.  While it's not as lightweight as some truly high-end laptops, the weight doesn't drag on my shoulder.

-- Keyboard.  Large enough to easily use, it still allows a good-size area below the keys to rest your wrist.

-- iLife.  The Mac comes bundled with iLife, Apple's lifestyle package that includes iTunes, iDVD, iPhoto, iWeb, GarageBand, PhotoBooth, and iMovie.  These programs are part of what makes Macs so cool.  All are intuitive, although GarageBand requires the most effort to learn.

-- Speed.  Even with 1 GB RAM, this machine is blazingly fast compared to others in its category.  (I recommend getting another GB of RAM, although my daughter says hers is fine with only 1 GB.)

-- Screen.  The display is crisp and bright.  Controls allows you to dim or brighten, depending on your preferences and the current lighting.  Although the screen is glossy, I never have much problem with glare unless I'm in full sun.

-- Built-in camera.  Although the camera isn't as powerful as a stand-alone digital camera, you can easily take shots for PhotoBooth fun or to upload to web sites such as Facebook.

Cons:

-- You cannot insert mini-DVDs.  If you use them, look at a different computer.

-- Screen size.  If a larger screen size is important to you, then get a different model.  Of course, you'll sacrifice some portability with a larger computer.

-- It comes with only 1 GB of RAM.  Although this is enough for most users, I still recommend installing another GB.

I've had my MacBook for a year now and haven't had any problems, so I haven't tested Apple customer service.  A leading consumer magazine rates Apple's service as the best among manufacturers.

Highly recommended.
2949213
I've used Parallels for the last 3 years on my iMac. When I retired from IBM, I switched over to a totally Apple environment. I still had a couple of applications that were Windows only, so Parallels took care of this situation. I run Windows 7 in this virtual machine environment. Windows never ran this good on my previous Windows hardware. This is a superb product.
4148551
Not much improvement over XP.

I've been using Win7 since Day 1 of the beta (January 10, public version).  Driver support is excellent, performance is good, Aero visual candy is nice, but it isn't a compelling upgrade for an OS that's eight years old (Vista doesn't count).  For my money too little, too late.

I've used Windows since 2.0 and DOS for six years before that.  I feel Microsoft missed the target with this release, allowing Apple & Snow Leopard to gain market share in the meantime.

It's not that I'm running the "new" operating system on an old system.  It's installed in both a Asus Rampage II Gene w/ 2.66 GHz i7-920 as well as a Intel DX58SO with same chip but D0 stepping.  DDR3 memory, Radeon 4850 1-GB DDR3, Velociraptor 150 & 300-GB drives, plus Intel 80-GB Gen 2 SSD, etc.

No, the issue for me is - what does it really offer that I need?  The driver support is fantastic, I'll give you that.  Performance is on par with XP.  Networking with a non-Win 7 O.S. like XP absolutely sucks, however.  User accounts are a bigger headache than they are with XP.  Features are not compelling enough to justify the $$ and time to upgrade.

Others will disagree, just as Mac users think Windows users are nuts.  But after eight years, Microsoft didn't hit a home run, they barely beat a bunt to first base by half a step.

I'm sending one order back for sure, and I may send the second as well.  Maybe by March, when my Win 7 RC is terminal, I'll be persuaded to upgrade.  For now - it's over-priced, over-hyped, and under-delivered.  You're surprised?
2446586
I have never, ever used an Apple mouse in over 15 years of full-time Mac ownership. I'm in design/advertising, so I spend about 16 hours a day doing minute, extremely detailed work involving constant zooming in/out and flipping between Adobe design applications. Apple has never once had a mouse with the control I needed. I've owned various Microsoft mice for that entire time because they were the only ones with enough control and options to work for my line of business. But with this mouse on my work and home laptops (and the Trackpad for my Mac Mini attached to TV) using both Lion and Snow Leopard respectively, Apple seems to have figured out the sensitivity and control that power users need. Not only that, but with Lion, these touch controls really soar, allowing a far greater amount of control for switching constantly between apps, effortlessly scrolling large distances, and using quick commands. Even the virtual 2nd button works much, much better than the Mighty Mouse ever did. I love that I can scroll through documents or zoom quickly and with inertia over a far greater distance than Mighty Mouse's tiny cramp-inducing dot ever allowed. Not to mention as a Bluetooth device, this thing does a bang-up job at staying connected full-time, even paired with the wireless keyboard. If you always hated Apple mice, Magic Mouse might be the one that changes your mind.
1888244
At least, I ASSUME that this OS works well on touch screens- even though I don't have one- because why else would they roll out such a frustrating product???

I should say, I am a PC girl. I have always refused to even entertain the idea of using a Mac... until now. I am actually considering switching. I figure, if I HAVE to learn a new system, why not make it one that seems to be intuitive and generally well received? I am very, very unhappy with Windows 8. Here's why:

1) I had to do a Google search just figure out how to shut the darn thing OFF!! Now, that should give you a good idea of just how awkward and complicated this new system is. When I did figure it out, it turns out you have to click through 4 SEPARATE STEPS just to shutdown the system. There is a way of pinning a shortcut to the Start Menu and the Task Bar- but again, you have to find instructions.

2) There are features where certain actions with your mouse will spontaneously switch the screen away from what you are trying to get done. In addition, there are menus hidden in the corners which are not easily adapted to. I eventually did another search to figure out how to get it to stop switching away from what I am working on- and in order to do that I also had to do ANOTHER search to find the "Control Panel!"

3) The standard programming is, in many cases gone. For example, desk top games are gone- so when you need to take a five minute break and let your mind wander before getting back to that project... you have to click all over creation and then sign into Xbox and, well, I still haven't figured out how to get it back onto my desktop. So now games are simply too much of a time suck to be viable.

There are many more problems- like... why can't I find a "search" function in all those apps on the Start screen, like "Store" and "Games?" I'm just expected to scroll through everything???

Bottom line is that the system is not intuitive and too different from what we are used to. Sure, change is good, etc, etc. However, the reality is that most people do not have the time or the patience to be fighting with learning a new system. I needed a new computer and a seamless transition to get back up and running quickly. Windows 8 failed that basic user requirement. I don't have a touch screen- I won't be getting one any time soon as I am in school and funds are tight. There should have been some acknowledgement of this issue when they rolled this OS to all systems.

I ended up downloading "Start8" in order to get the Windows 7 start menu functionality back. If a user has to go find third party programs just to get back to something that works for them, there is a serious, SERIOUS problem.
2842636
Background info about me - I have 30+ years of experience building, upgrading and maintaining custom systems. I've used every version DOS since 2.0 and of Windows since 3.1 with the exception of Vista.

All of that said, I eagerly downloaded and installed Windows 8 Consumer Preview version in a dual boot configuration when it became available. After a week I removed it and swore I would never buy or use Windows 8 for numerous reasons. When the final version hit the market I made statements to that effect on a computer magazine forum. I was challenged by another member that I had never really given it a chance and if I would do so I might feel differently. So I accepted the challenge, upgraded my main PC to Windows 8 Pro and began using it for my day to day work. It was glitchy so I backed up my files and did a clean install. The rest, as they say, is history. I had it installed and running in less than a half hour. Reinstalling all of my apps took another couple of hours, but went very smoothly. It boots faster than Windows 7 and the response in my main apps as I use it is very fast.  I use MS Office 2010 (64 bit), Logos 5 Bible Research Software, Pinnacle 12 HD video editing and DVD creation software, Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 and numerous other programs. As you can see I put my system through the grinder on a daily basis. Once I took the time (a couple of hours) to learn some of the keyboard shortcuts and new features that came with the OS my productivity was better than ever. I can do a number of tasks with Windows 8 natively that required a third party app with all previous versions. For example, I can search within all 7400 of my documents for a text string through a simple "Windows key + F" and then type in the string. "Windows key + X" brings up a list of system tools such as Task Manager, Control Panel and Command Prompt to name a few.

Anything I didn't know how to do, or couldn't figure out, I was able to find in the Windows 8 forums. I located one wonderful sight that listed every Windows 8 keyboard shortcut. Talk about a gold mine!

I think the complaints about the Start screen are totally unjustified. One key click and it's out of the way. Any application that I started from the Start menu in Windows 7 I can start from the Start Screen. Short cut icons are still available from the desktop and the taskbar just like they were in Windows 7.

I cannot understand all of the whining about it not being keyboard/mouse friendly. I have found it to be very easy to use with my setup. In fact, I can do many things with fewer clicks and keystrokes than I could with Windows 7. I have not had a single crash since installing it. I do not miss the Start Menu, but to be fair, I never used it much in previous versions.

My system is not state of the art but it isn't legacy either. I have an Asus P8Z68V-LX motherboard, a Core i5-2500K CPU, 120 gig SATA 3 SSD, 16 gig of RAM, two 500 gig and one 1 terabyte mechanical drives, and an AMD 7750 discrete graphics card. I have three 22" LCD displays, two connected to the AMD card and one connected to the onboard Intel graphics. They look sweet with the panoramic desktop background that is available only with this OS.

My initial negative reaction to the OS was due to the fact I had installed it as dual-boot without any of my apps available from Windows 8. So I didn't use it in the real world of my home office. After over a month of using it I feel very differently about it.

In summary, I have found that my productivity is much higher, and I can perform most tasks much faster. Windows 8 boots up and shuts down faster. For me it is easier to use and has many features not available in Windows 7. I am giving it 5 stars.
4491722
Now that Macs can run Windows, I am glad I can buy Macs and get the best of both worlds.  I purchased my Macbook Air for school.  I am a Sophomore at college and I have used a Macbook Pro, an HP Laptop, and most recently an iPad.  The first two were bulky and added a lot of weight to my backpack.  I ended up leaving the laptops at home and using campus computers instead, negating the purpose of even having a laptop.

Next, I tried an iPad.  While it was super easy to carry around and beautiful to use, it wasn't as functional as I'd have liked due to the restrictive software (iOS) and lack of ability to help me with programming in my computer science degree plan.

I took a chance and bought the Macbook Air and was instantly relieved of these problems.  It is incredibly light, thus enabling me to carry it around in my backpack and hardly know it is there at all.  You can hold it between your thumb and finger with no problem, it is so light.  It is VERY quiet.  I rarely hear the fan come on.  The screen has a great resolution, and the newer features brought from the Macbook Pro (back-lit keyboard, for example) are a great addition.  I have a Corsair Voyager GT USB 3.0 flash drive and transferring files is insanely quick thanks to the two USB 3.0 ports.  Having one on each side helps a lot.  I have been getting comments about how nice the laptop is.  Please note, I don't use this for gaming so I can't say how powerful it really is.

I have not encountered any Wifi issues as some have said.  I did have a little bit of a problem getting Bootcamp to install Windows 7 because it didn't like my USB drive for that.  I had to borrow someone else's drive but it worked a charm then.  I enjoy flipping to Windows to do my programming at school, then switching back to OSX to browse the web and watch movies.  This is the best laptop I have ever bought.

-----------------------------------
UPDATE: 3/31/2013

The Air is still running great. I wanted to add that I have played Portal 2 and a couple of other older games on the laptop and they actually run very well. The only thing is, the fans come on and it can be a little loud once the graphics start churning out.
2526169
I'm an accountant, and I live with Excel open on my desktop almost all day long.  We use Windows machines at work, so I'm used to the user interface for the typical Office 2007 suite.

You can imagine how disappointed I was when I got MS Office 2008 for Mac and saw the user interface for that product.  The floating tool bar wreaked of what I worked with back in the 1990's!  I cannot describe the joy and relief when I opened Office Mac 2011 for the first time and saw the familiar tool bars that I see every day on the Windows-based product.  If you switch back and forth at all from Windows to Mac, you will not have to hunt around for your favorite commands...they're mostly pretty much right where you left them on your Windows machine.  Even some of the Windows 2010 stuff (sparklines, for instance!) found their way into this product, so I'm a happy boy once again.

I see folks complaining about having to download this separately for each of the three installs, and how long it takes.  This IS a big download, and YES, you should be prepared to give this some time.  Shucks, just get the download going and go make yourself a latte, check the morning news headlines...talk with your wife (or husband) IN PERSON....give it 20 minutes, and the download will be complete.  With my new Macbook Air, this sort of install is the only thing I can do....there's no CD/DVD.  So I was actually happy to take delivery this way!  Amazon, your system works well for me...no complaints from this user!!

So far, I have no complaints.  All my files seem to work the way I expect them to -- even the ones with weird VBA and developer objects in them -- but I'll post here if I run into any issues.  So far, I love it!!!
2580666
Ok, so I'm a Mac newb.  I've been a die-hard Windows user since 3.0.  I used to hate the Mac's because I always thought they were too expensive and the fact that it was such a closed system, you could never tinker with it.

Well, I've grown and matured.  We recently purchased this iMac 24" and when I took it out of the box and powered it up, we all just stared at it in awe.  The fit and finish is just amazing.  The screen, including the resolution, brightness, is just out of this world.

When we finally came out of our trance from just looking at the machine, I decided to poke around the OS a little.  For the most part, it's very intuitive.  It wasn't until several weeks later that I realized I could program the 2nd mouse button on the mighty mouse.  Once I did that, all my frustration went away.  But before then, I have to say, I didn't realize at how addicted I am to the right mouse click.

The bundled software included on the Mac is fantastic.  The iPhoto, iMovie, and iDVD products are not only very useful, they're just plain fun to toy around with.

My only gripes with the Mac are mostly based on what seemed to be a slighly buggy OS.  The most unreliable applications are Safari, and Firefox.  Oddly, I installed Firefox because I was getting to hate safari.  There's still a huge number of websites that don't recognize it as a real browser.

We debated on whether to buy MS Office or iWork.  We opted for iWork, which for the most part I'm happy with.  However, it's still just a very rudimentary Office bundle and doesn't quite have all the features I was hoping for.  However, the built-in templates are very cool.

The only thing I did to make the transition from PC to Mac better was buy a copy of VMware Fusion and converted our old PC into a VM.  When ever we're stuck and have no patience to figure something out, we jump start the old PC in Fusion.  BTW, if you're an old PC user and haven't checked out fusion, do so now!!

Overall, we are so pleased with the iMac.  The hardware is just fantastic and the OS has become a pleasure to use.  I would highly recommend this to anyone considering making the switch or if you're in the market to upgrade an older Mac.  You won't be disappointed.
2145998
I just recently switched from a PC to a Mac and was worried I would have a learning curve on using the Mac version.  But, it was a seamless transition and I love some of the new features.
103912
As a long time (15+yr) unix/linux admin and Windows(3.0->Current) user I decided to splurge a little and try a Mac.  First impressions - It just works as promised. From box to usable inside of 10 minutes easy.  The interface is fantastic, and the screen clarity and brightness are beautiful. I love the keyboard, on the other hand the mouse default settings made it sluggish - increased the response and it is much better.  I like Os-X, coming from a *nix background. I like the ease of software installation.  Macs are expensive but you do get what you pay for. This is a nice machine that is fun and very powerful.
2081698
I won't say as much as I normally would if this were a standalone review, as other reviews here have covered much of what I would have included otherwise.  What I would like to strongly emphasize, however is the following:

1. My installations of 10.6 on my Macbook Pro and my Mac Pro both went flawlessly.  I had zero issues with the install.  I did, however, WAIT until I was sure that there were 10.6 compatible drivers for my scanner, printer, and Wacom Intuos4 tablet, and that steermouse and Carbon Copy Cloner also had 10.6 compatible versions.  At this point in time, most such issues have been resolved, but it is worth it to make sure that is the case, and to wait until you are sure.  In very few cases is there a great rush!  A couple weeks won't be a big deal.

2. BACKUP BEFORE upgrading!  Just because most peoples installs will go flawlessly is no guarantee yours will.  You always want to be able to step back if you need to!  A time machine backup is good, but a SuperDuper or CCC image of your system drive is better, in my opinion.  Some programs (PSE comes to mind) will not work properly when restored via migration assistant and a time machine backup.  Also, keep in mind that if you do do a clean install that the iLife programs won't be there.  You will need to install them from your original install discs that came with your mac.  There is an option to install bundled software only.  However, I would recommend just doing the straightforward install, except I would say customize it and just pre-emptively install Rosetta and QT7.

3. Don't expect awesome improvements in speed.  You will be disappointed if this is your reason for upgrading.  Also, note that some things may be different that annoy you.  Check out a detailed review if these sorts of things push you over the edge (and have a backup so you can revert if you like).

4. Finally, and most importantly, please understand that Snow Leopard is much more POTENTIAL awesomeness that will be realized in the future, than ACTUAL awesomeness that will manifest as soon as you boot into it.  See, at this point, processing power is increasing not via increasing clock speed and kflops increases of a single core, but is being increased by increasing the number of cores per CPU, and even the number of CPU's per computer (and don't forget the GPU).  This increase is real, but is currently NOT utilized by most softare.  The issue has to do with the difficulty of writing code for parallel processes and breaking tasks into threads.  If you read the Ars Technica review of Snow Leopard, you will get some very detailed info on the problem, and on Apple's approach to it.  The incredible thing is that according to informed opinion (or some of it, anyway), Apple REALLY DID more or less solve this thorny problem by providing new tools for PROGRAMERS to write code that will take advantage of all that processing power sitting idle.  Note especially the AT discussion of queues and how they provide a powerful and easy to use tool for programmers.  So, anyway, whether or not you understand all the technical details, the point is just that in a year or two, you will start to see OS X programs written for 10.6 really make waves with serious performance increases.  Then you will get awesome improvements in speed in many cases.

Snow Leopard is laying the foundation for excellence.  I am very happy and impressed that Apple took the time and effort (and risk) necessary to do this.  It will pay off in a big way!  Just wait and see!
4911177
This was my first Mac purchase (let alone MacBook Pro) ever.  Macs weren't windows and they are more expensive than comparably equipped (from a CPU, Memory, HD, etc. perspective) so I had never even considered purchasing one.  My son and I started talking about and looking at the MacBook Pros and he decided to buy one.  He loved his and I got to play with it and see how well it was made.  I still couldn't see me paying what he did for the higher end 15 inch model that he got but the entry level machine I could see, maybe.  Then I found this machine as a "Like new" and it had only 100Mhz less CPU speed than the current higher end 13.3" model and the price was lower than the current entry-level machine with the higher class i7 processor and 400Mhz higher speed.  The HD didn't matter since I was going to replace it with a 750GB 7200 RPM Seagate Momentus XT (hybrid with an 8GB SSD built in to improve performance to near SSD speeds).  I also opted to purchase 8GB of memory for $40.  Now this machine is a very good performer with good onboard graphics. I am playing Skyrim on native resolution (low graphics settings) with acceptable play for me.  Obviously, I have Windows loaded using BootCamp and have also installed Parallels.  This allows me to have very good performance from Office 2010 within MacOS.  Windows games have to be run from BootCamp.  I really love the gestures in Lion and the fact that I can use many of the most used ones in the same way under Windows.  I actually prefer to use Lion but enjoy Windows 7 more than I did on other Windows based machines due to the larger touch pad and the use of gestures that gives me much better control than I have had with any other trackpad device.

Swapping out the HD could have been really tough with a lot of configuring from scratch but with this MacBook Pro, I was able to backup using time machine, swap out the HD, boot the machine from the Internet (using Wi-Fi), restore from time machine, and then install Lion over the top again to create the recovery partition.  The process went smoothly and didn't take any longer than installing Windows, let alone doing a restore.  The last step could have been skipped if I didn't want/need the recovery partition on my internal drive.

This machine is the best built one I have ever seen and I have come to realize that they really hold their value because of that.  In short, this is the best Windows machine I have used and it is even better running MacOS X Lion.
3463189
I have experience in every Microsoft and Apple/Mac upgrade product in that I own both PCs and Macs.  Yesterday I decided to attempt an upgrade from Windows Vista Ultimate to Windows 7 Ultimate at on Dell PC w. Intel Core i7 920, 12 Gb RAM.  I inserted the Windows 7 Upgrade DVD and followed the simple directions (and held my breath).  I was advised by the system that I needed to (1) "deauthorize" my iTunes, (2) that my ATI drivers would no longer work, and that I would need to update them. The upgrade took about about 2 hours to complete (fully automated - no actions on my part), and to my astonishment, it worked perfectly.  Just like a Mac, all but one (1) my Applications and files were preserved and migrated. I lost use of the HP Printer Software for Officejet Pro L7680 All-In-One Printer/Scanner.  I went to the HP website, and HP does not have new software available yet.  The post-upgrade speed of applications/programs opening is much faster, but my boot-up speeds are not noticeably faster.  Mac still rules when it comes to boot-up speed.  I did have to download and install (free) Windows Email (since it no longer comes bundled with Windows 7).  The Windows 7 interface is easy on the eyes, and there seems to be some additional Aero features.  All in all, this the best upgrade in Microsoft history.
317940
I made the leap back to Mac with the 12" iBook.  I read the reviews and talked to many people about it before deciding on the exact model.  I decided to get 60GB harddrive and add 512 MB of RAM.  I'm sitting in a hotel 3000 miles home working on my thesis...this computer rocks!
*Back for an edit*...
I was definately afraid of having to learn a whole new system - it honestly did take a couple of weeks to get used to, but that's it (and I'm not a computer person).  They're right, the mac system really is more intuitive than PC.  I'm done with the thesis and now am as fluent with mac as I was with PC.  I do recommend buying additional RAM, although I think the G4s come with 512 MB standard now.  A bigger harddrive is only necessary if you fall in love with your mac and never want to turn on your PC desktop again (like me).  Never gone wireless before?  Oh you will!  You'll be busting out your cool little iBook at every coffee shop, library and airport...then your wireless house!