I need your help! Emac or PC?

Z

zippygaloo

Registered
Can anyone give me some good reasons not to buy the eMac?

Can anyone give me some good reasons to buy a PC?

I currently own a PC. I have owned nothing but Macs in the past. I'm beating my head against the wall as to whether I should really switch back or not. I truly love OSX, it's not cluttered like Windows XP with all of those silly funky named files that I don't know whether I can throw them out or not.

Windows XP is very stable, somewhat customizable (a lot more now than it use to be) and there are many more little things (you know those little add on programs like chat and browser add ons, etc.) that are available for the PC, many of which I use now. Yahoo Intellisync with my Palm, Kazaa, Ebay TurboLister, Easy GPS, Unreal Tournament. I can't use any of those with the eMac.

A new PC will cost me less money as well, and it appears I can get a better processor in a PC too. I'm afraid the 700mhz eMac CRT will run SLOW and get old fast.

I really want a Mac, but I don't know it it really makes the best sense.

I'm looking for some real honest truthful opinions here.

Anyone care to help convince me one way or the other with good facts?
 
What you haven't said here is why you're looking at getting a new machine (of some flavour). Is the PC old enough to not be meeting your needs? Do you simply want to get a faster/newer/bigger/better machine? Will you be getting rid of the PC you have when the new machine arrives?

One of the things to consider is - if you're keeping your PC, getting an eMac (or any other), is easier, since you can still run all your old stuff on the PC until you find Mac software that replaces the functions that you use the PC for right now. For instance, (and I know there's differences, but it's just an example), instead of Kazaa, you might run Limewire. The others may have alternatives also - i don't know what Yahoo Intellisync is, nor what the EBay turbo lister is. There is (limited) GPS software for MacOSX, but then, EasyGPS is pretty limited anyway.

For things you simply cannot find alternatives for, you could simply continue to use the PC. If you're not keeping the PC, you could look into VirtualPC. It's not the fastest thing, but it would let you run the odd PC app that doesn't exist on Mac.

The Mac has historically tended to age a lot more gracefully than the PC as a platform. For instance, I have an old iMac (266) that runs MacOSX reasonably well. It's not speed demon, but for light surfing, mp3 playback, IRC, and other low-impact tasks, it's very tolerable. It's not my main machine, though. It'll even run the Gimp (photo editing) at a usable rate.

One thing that I've not mentioned so far is the Unreal Tournament. I believe that particular game is available on the Mac, but there are many games that are not. If gaming is important to you, you may want to stay with the PC. But again, you could keep the PC around for that (VirtualPC is not all that good for gaming.) Or, if your gaming is relatively light, you might look at suppliementing your new Mac with a console system, like PlayStation2 (which is what I've done).

I know that I've just raised more questions, with very few answers, but the question of switching is a big one, and should be done carefully. I'm sure others will chime in here with other ideas/opinions too. Good luck!!
 
If you're keeping your PC anyway, then the eMac is a great machine and offers a lot of value for money. But if you're planning on REPLACING the PC, then you really need to take the time to find suitable software to do all the things you want to be able to do. Once you've got the software you need - and asking around here when you're not sure is a good start - then the Mac is fantastic.

As for any reason to NOT buy the eMac, I have heard nothing but good reports about them. I think the first ones released didn't have a modem built-in, as they were intended for use in schools, but now that has been corrected. And some people aren't crazy about the styling. Also, it runs noisier than most Macs, which is still quieter than most PCs, but I'd suggest you see one up and running before you buy.
 
For some people the grass is always greener on the other side.

Switching from Macs to PCs to Macs chasing what ever they seem to think they are missing out on. They see people happy with something different than what they have and want to change.

Unless you have some real reason of your own for wanting to choose a Mac, I would say stick with the PC. You already have the software, so it is less expensive to upgrade to another PC. Using a Mac requires you to run against the norm, and it just is something that most people aren't up to. If you are on the fence about going between the two platforms, stay with PCs until your ready to be a Mac user. Being a Mac user is harder, more rewarding, but harder none the less.

When you are ready to be a Mac user, you’ll know. You won’t need to ask for reasons why you should switch, you’ll just switch because it is the right thing for you.
 
I personally love my Emac... yes i had a small problem when i first got it but i got the problem covered with the AppleCare warranty and since then i love it.
First thing i noticed about the mac when i went from pc to mac, the way the display is so crystal clear compared to a pc. The colors are richer and the display is clearer. I recommend the Emac or any mac for that matter.
 
I would personally go for the emac as I work with a Windows 2000 server network and I find working with Windows boring but it really does depend on what your using it for, mac are getting even more popular these days so I would give the emac a go cos I doubt your be disapointed ;)

I've only got a G3 400 imac with 512 ram and look to get a new machine in 12 months and their is no doubt I'm getting a mac cos this is my first one and I love it to bits!!!! :D
 
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