PC vs. MAC computers to run business

[poipuyardcrew]

Hello, Howdy, Aloha,
I've been using a PC for about 15+ years, I'm getting sick and tired of all these viruses hitting my computer. I was delayed this month about 2 weeks by emailing my invoices out because of..... Had to reboot computer twice, purchace a spyware program, bought 2gigs Ram (thought that would help), I still cant get my quickbooks to work properly. I'm spending more time on this computer then I am doing yards (seriously).

I've seen commercials where mac computers claim to have minimal to no virus activity with there computers. I would like to see what the word on the street is with actuall users. So, if you use a mac to run your computer please hit me back to confirm or denay this claim.

Also, Is it possible/pheasible to change over all my microsoft type programs and such as Xcell, word, publisher, etc. from pc version to mac.

Thankyou, If anything I just wanted to vent a bit.


Dominik

[Jhill19]

Hello, Howdy, Aloha,
I've been using a PC for about 15+ years, I'm getting sick and tired of all these viruses hitting my computer. I was delayed this month about 2 weeks by emailing my invoices out because of..... Had to reboot computer twice, purchace a spyware program, bought 2gigs Ram (thought that would help), I still cant get my quickbooks to work properly. I'm spending more time on this computer then I am doing yards (seriously).

I've seen commercials where mac computers claim to have minimal to no virus activity with there computers. I would like to see what the word on the street is with actuall users. So, if you use a mac to run your computer please hit me back to confirm or denay this claim.

Also, Is it possible/pheasible to change over all my microsoft type programs and such as Xcell, word, publisher, etc. from pc version to mac.

Thankyou, If anything I just wanted to vent a bit.


Dominik

Aloha,

That makes me miss hawaii. But anyway I have a MacBook Pro that I use for school, business, and anything else I want it to do.
It will run virtually most Windows programs. I have the Microsoft office for mac, I believe the 2008 edition. They also make quickbooks and quickbooks pro for mac. Its a solid OS, I have not had many problems with mine at all.
Some say they aren't worth the money, but I believe it was money well spent. The old saying goes "You get what you pay for." I love my mac and will never go back to PC for a main computer.

[lilweeds]

The only downside to the mac is the lack of good business software. That being said you can run Quickbooks and Qxpress online, so it shouldn't be a big deal to make it work. Also Apple's own office suite works fairly well. I don't have one, but hope to in the next couple months.

[WGLandscapeMaintenance]

^^ What he said! ^^ Anyway, I have a macbook. According to the last scan mine is loaded with viruses. However, those viruses only affect windows so my computer is all good. I love my mac and I will most likely never buy a windows again. With a mac I can download all I want and not have to worry about virus protection and can still run quickbooks mac and microsoft office for mac. :D

[Jhill19]

theres also programs built in with mac called bootcamp which allows you to partition your hard drive and boot xp or vista, or you could go with another software called vmware fusion. basically does the same thing but allows you to run OSX and XP/Vista at the same time, i have not used qxpress, but quickbooks can be ran from the hard drive via software

[john_incircuit]

Before I retired, I ran large IT departments... and I don't mean just 1000 computers. Like most large companies, we had a mix of machines, including Unix, PCs and Macs.

It is a myth that Macs don't get "viruses" and in my experience, the vast majority of the PC "viruses" are either because the PCs are not setup correctly or because of operator inexperience.

I put "viruses" in quotes because there are just so many unauthorized or malicious programs out there, we can not all put them into one category, as they work on way different exploits, including operator deception.

If you need your computer to run a business, ask a security oriented IT professional to set it up and maintain it for you. Regardless if you go with a PC or a MAC, you just got to know what you do and how to maximize your investment while minimizing the risks.

[Jhill19]

agreed, I'm having a IT security tech I goto church set up my mac for that reason.

[WGLandscapeMaintenance]

Actually, now that I rescan again, my mac has just one virus. That must've been from a windows I used a couple weeks ago. :D

[Jhill19]

Anyone know of a dedicated lawn care software that is mac compatible or what are you all using other than quickbooks?

[CrewKut]

Dominik,

I can relate to what you are saying. I was where you are in terms of being fed up with the updates, upgrades, patches and all the rest of the nonsense. It cost me money and productivity, and the process just kept repeating itself to no end. I thought about switching to a Mac also and did some research into it. However, I was on a very limited budget, and while I wanted a Mac, I couldn't justify the expenditure after having put so much into the PCs I already had.

So, instead of ditching the PCs, I ditched Microsoft. I switched to an open source operating system that runs very well on the hardware I already had. After some more research, I opted for an OS that looked like it could do what I wanted and I have never looked back. I made the switch several years ago and it has been one of the best moves I have ever made.

Since I made the transition, I have not spent one dime on upgrades, anti-virus subscriptions, or expensive proprietary software. I no longer spend hours trying to figure out what went wrong or why won't this work right. I have not had to put off what I was doing till the anti-virus program was finished running because system resources were maxed out. My older machine that ran excruciatingly slow under Windows was now running like a speed demon. I now have a system that I am happy with and it does everything I need it to do.

I will admit that the transition was not without it's bumps along the way. I think the hardest part was unlearning the Windows way of doing things. Such a move is not for everyone, there is a learning curve. The alternative OS versions that are available now have evolved quite a bit since I switched though and are easier than ever to work with and many are well supported and documented.

One of the problems I ran into was Quickbooks. It is proprietary, and it will not run on my current setup. My solution was to keep one of my older computers that is running Windows XP and just run Quickbooks from that. That is the only software program that I use that I have not found a suitable replacement for that will run on my system. I know that you asked about running Excel and Word on a Mac but I can't answer that. I can tell you that I found a suitable alternative program that I am very happy with. It's called OpenOffice and is will run on just about any system and it is freely available. It will even run in Windows.

I recently bought a used laptop off of craigslist because I'm too cheap to to buy new. It had Vista on it and it and the seller was getting rid of it because it ran to slow. I talked him down on the price and took it home. I ran it for a couple of weeks to see what I had been missing since I left Windows. I soon remembered why I left and installed a new OS on it. In about a half hour I had it up and running and everything just worked.

If you are not sure you can do without Microsoft completely, you can do what is referred to as a dual boot. This is when you install a second OS on your PC. Then when you start up you can choose which operating system you want to run for that session. This is what I did until I was ready to make the full transition. Another option is to try it on an older or spare computer you have, you may just save it from the scrapheap.

Bottom line: I would suggest that if your budget allows it, buy a Mac. If money is an issue, check out an alternative OS. Keep in mind that a switch away from Windows will require some changes and some learning, just like you had to learn the Windows way on your first computer.

Anyway here are some links that may help you in your quest.

DistroWatch - (http://distrowatch.com/) Check out alternative operating systems

Linux.org (http://www.linux.org/)

linuxquestions.org - (http://www.linuxquestions.org/) A great forum

ubuntu.com - (http://www.ubuntu.com/) This is the OS that I went with.

help.ubuntu.com - (https://help.ubuntu.com/) Ubuntu documentation

ubuntuforums.org - (http://ubuntuforums.org/) A great place to get questions answered about Ubuntu.

openoffice.org - (http://www.openoffice.org/) A fine alternative to Microsoft Office programs.

gimp.org - (http://www.gimp.org/) A free image editing program.


Anyone that is making any type of changes to their computer should make and thoroughly test backups of important files. Don't just backup to a hard drive, make CD or DVD backups of all your files that you consider important. I cannot stress this point enough.

Dan

[soloscaperman]

This is what pisses me off. Stop looking at porn and use commonsense when you click something. Apple is for stupid rich people like Paris Hilton, and others that want to waste money. It's a gimmick. Apple does get virsuses, spy ware, etc. The ratio of Windows owners versus Apple is the trick. You have 95% people using Windows and 5% use Apple, mmmm who is going to have more problems.

Did you ever notice that when you open an Apple computer that its all the same parts used on a normal PC. Your paying 3X more for Apple just because of there OS and it's not even that great! Learn how to use a computer or just don't use one. I have NEVER used anti virus in 10 years and only had one virus.

Here is a tip, reformat your hard drive, update all drivers, stop using Internet Explorer and use Firefox.

[Jhill19]

They dont have the same amount of viruses, its not a gimmick. More people use windows therefore a "hacker" doesnt spend time to figure out how to get into a mac Unix based system which is a lot more difficult than windows.

[Chilehead]

ubuntu.com - (http://www.ubuntu.com/) This is the OS that I went with.

Ubuntu ROCKS! I actually use Xubuntu which is built in XFCE instead of Gnome. Operates just like Ubuntu, but is better for older computers due to a lack of some of the visual eye candy. I also use an app called "Wine" which lets you run Windows apps with a Linux-based OS.:)

[Jhill19]

I havent messed with linux that much, very flexible i hear tho.

[topsites]

But you already have a pc, to get a Mac you have to get a whole new computer...

When all you have to do is get Linux, the version I have lets you install it alongside Windows
so you can make your system dual-OS bootable while you learn the ropes of Unix.

Because you get a Mac, it's a whole learning process too, don't think anyone
can just jump from Windows to another OS like lalala either.
Either way it's a learning process, just like Windows was.
Unless you're just really in the mood to splurge?

Ubuntu is nice, and free, I've been using it for a couple of years or so now,
most if not all the software you can download via a 'Package manager,' most of this is also free,
just select your wares, click apply and stuff downloads and self-installs.
Wysiwyg interface, looks and feels like Windows except it's anything but...
And there exist some problems, EVERY OS has these, at least Linux being free I don't feel like I'm paying for defects.
They upgrade frequently, this is like the 4th release in 2 years, the 9th release since they began distribution,
there exist all sorts of version upgrades, several different 'final' distribs as well.
A forum adds a type of "live" support, if you can call it that, most initial problems are easily addressed there.
And yes, Firefox works on Ubuntu so you can at least get on the Internet pretty much right away.
Further, it's as virii free as Mac.

http://www.ubuntu.com/
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

You'll also need a writable (blank) CD and an ISO burner.
http://www.ntfs.com/iso-burning.htm
(Thou you can actually burn it to a flash stick, assuming you can set your BIOS to "Boot from USB")

[Jhill19]

It took me about a week to really get the hang of OSX from mac but once i got used to it I was hooked. Still finding alot of little things that are great, I have no complaints with the MacBook Pro. I'll probably mess around with linux on my desktop at home.

[poipuyardcrew]

Thanks for all the info mac users and Dan,

Dan, I never considered your option and I'm definately am going to pull an old computer out and try that operating system. I do have the money to buy a mac $1200 - $1500, but it always rubs me the wrong way when I buy things that don't actually make money. A mower, weed eater, no problem I almost have to stop my self from getting carried away with those buys, but they make money.

I went to a mac dealer yesturday, the computers looked pretty easy to use but there were a lot of design type software on it for dvd makers, music makers, etc. cool stuff. but not too much business type applications, but the dealers said I can install my programs I use for my PC onto the mac and I can use my portable storage devices with it too. The mac's I remember about 10 years ago couldn't do that.

Has anyone installed programs you bought and used on a pc to a mac computer? Did it work the same?

[Jhill19]

A lot has changed since then and yeah there are lots of programs out there to run your PC programs on a mac but there is also the same version for mac in many cases

[poipuyardcrew]

I'll take a look at that lunix and ubutu as well,
I havent switched to firefox, might try that too. I don't go to any porn sites, but ocasionally I'll go to facebook or myspace check on some of my friends. Just seems like once I've had a computer for about a year it starts to act up.

[Jhill19]

Thats what windows does, they are good for about a year but after that unless you have a really good antivirus and everything that keeps up with everything they go in the crapper. They'll still work just slow as heck.

[CrewKut]

I went to a mac dealer yesturday, the computers looked pretty easy to use but there were a lot of design type software on it for dvd makers, music makers, etc. cool stuff. but not too much business type applications, but the dealers said I can install my programs I use for my PC onto the mac and I can use my portable storage devices with it too. The mac's I remember about 10 years ago couldn't do that.

Has anyone installed programs you bought and used on a pc to a mac computer? Did it work the same?

I can't speak about Mac, but I would bet that you can do most of what you need to do. In Ubuntu there are several different ways to run Windows programs within it. Additionally, I have never had a problem attaching or running portable devices, ie; Ipods, flashdrives, web cams, harddrives, etc. I just plug them in and go.

Like I said before, I have found a Linux replacement program for all I need to do (except Quickbooks). I don't even bother with windows programs anymore. The best part about that is that when I decide I need to do something that I don't already have the program for, I look for whats available (program), and a couple of mouse clicks later, I have the program installed and running. I have not shopped for or bought software for a long time. Talk about saving money! My computer went from costing me money (and time), to actually being economical and productive and it has never run better.

I don't want to mislead anyone here. Linux is not for everyone, nor is it the greatest thing since sliced bread. It is however a very efficient OS. If you are willing to take a little time to become familiar with it, I think you come to see it's benefits. But then again, if you decide you don't like it, what have you lost? It costs nothing but some of your time to try it.

For anyone wanting to take the plunge, I suggest you spend some time in the forums. Just like here at Lawnsite, there are many helpful people there to guide you and answer any questions that arise. Also take a look at the How To section they have to guide you through installation.

On an unrelated note: I know a lot of guys on here use Ipods or mp3 players. I just was wondering if anyone has tried RockBox?

http://www.rockbox.org/

It is an alternative OS for mp3 players including certain Ipods. I have been using it for a couple of years now and really like it. It lets you do a lot more than the mfg. firmware.

Dan

[Chilehead]

When I first tried Ubuntu, I used the .exe version that lets you do a dual boot at startup and installs from inside Windows. This way, you can try it and if you don't like it, uninstall it. One word of advice: Ubuntu and all it's derivative's do NOT use the NTFS file system--try FAT 16/32. Ubuntu will run on NTFS, but downloading programs, running them, and storing data can be very buggy. Make sure you have a disk partition that you can set aside for Ubuntu and it's apps.

[vomeisentor]

I would say MAC, because they NEVER get virus. They hardly ever breaks. They are FASTER and MORE powerful than PC. It is worth EVERY penny.

[LawnAir]

I have a Macbook that I run the mac and windows system. The only reason I have windows on it is for my accounting package from LawnPro. They don't have a Mac version.