PC to Apple: Questions

[don]

After cleaning and adding some very effective ad blockers and anti-malware, courtesy of the 'tulip, the old Dell warhorse yearns for lay its case down in green pastures. The Apple's laptop looks to be its replacement.

Questions: since it's a laptop, and will be self-contained, can I transfer files directly from the Dell to the Apple? These are mostly my wife's photos (JPEGS) and Word docs, readable in Apple's iWrite.

Will the OS difference be a problem?

[BK]

Re: PC to Apple: Questions

I have Mac laptop and several Windows OS machines.

My biggest complaints for Apple laptop are expensive and repair costs. For the price of an Apple laptop you can buy two or three Windows laptops.

If you spill any liquid on your key board the cost to repair an Apple laptop can be $400-$500.

You will probably find that the fastest and easiest way to transfer files is to move documents on to a USB or other memory stick. Apples iWork is a great set of application and can open every Word document that I've ever tried to open.

I use my Mac laptop at home a great deal but I dread the day when it needs another repair.

[hoodoo]

Re: PC to Apple: Questions

After cleaning and adding some very effective ad blockers and anti-malware, courtesy of the 'tulip, the old Dell warhorse yearns for lay its case down in green pastures. The Apple's laptop looks to be its replacement.

Questions: since it's a laptop, and will be self-contained, can I transfer files directly from the Dell to the Apple? These are mostly my wife's photos (JPEGS) and Word docs, readable in Apple's iWrite.

Will the OS difference be a problem?

Hi -

A few comments about the job you face. These tasks have become easier as time has gone by are by no means completely automated.

I have home and work environment that uses both Apple and Windows products and I think both platforms have their benefits. I do think that Apple products are better consumer products and I have an easier time supporting my entire family on Apple products rather than Windows. But that's just my opinion...

Get a large USB drive and copy all of the files from the old Dell. JPEG and other files are generally standardized and will be able to be opened on most any computer regardless of type. You can grab the photos and put them into iPhoto - Apple's free photo organizing tool. You can drop the .doc files into a folder and then evaluate...

As for .doc files it's harder to know if they will open easily. Even within the Microsoft family of products like Word, older versions of files can have issues when opened in newer versions. In your case, the transition from Word to another piece of software can lead to even more difficulties. It is very likely that you will be able to open all of the files, but you may also find that differences in fonts and special layouts can leave you with the need to reformat documents. If you have a few extra bucks you can buy a consumer copy of word for around $100 and that might make things easiest. If you try to stick with the Apple software, rext only documents are easiest, the worst are documents that take advantage of special formatting (ie. inserted photos, graphic images like smart art, and hierarchical layouts like outlines). If you buy an Apple product you can use their concierge service, The Genius Bar to help you make it through some of this transition with hands on guidance. It's free and I've found the staff helpful and patient. It's possible that the Microsoft retail outlet would offer the same if you visited their store. Actually, why not take the USB drive to the Apple Store and ask a sales person to show you just how it would work and get a look at your old .doc files? Try before you buy!

There are differences in interface that may initially be frustrating - it's not necessarily an Apple/Windows problem. It's a generic problem that you would face with any transition where active and passive learning over months and years of use present a cognitive challenge when you move to something new. For example there is a windows control panel that you are probably familiar - with in the Apple world, this is called System preferences. If you say control panel to an Apple person they wont know exactly what you mean and vice-versa. Generally, I think the transition is pretty easy but be prepared some degree of irritation. If you get a new PC with Win8 OS, I think it is likely you will run into exactly the same issue. The layout and design philosophy is a dramatic departure from all previous versions.

It's true that Apple products are more costly to maintain if you use Apple services. However, they are as easy and cheap to repair if you are a do-it-yourself type. Check out iFixit for their ratings of Apple products for serviceability if this matters to you.

Hope this helps!

Hoodoo

[don]

Re: PC to Apple: Questions

1 - will check out the Apple repair scene. thanks BK, Hoodoo.

2 -

Get a large USB drive and copy all of the files from the old Dell. JPEG and other files are generally standardized and will be able to be opened on most any computer regardless of type. You can grab the photos and put them into iPhoto - Apple's free photo organizing tool. You can drop the .doc files into a folder and then evaluate...

Transferring files directly from the Dell to the Apple laptop not recommended?

Are there safeguards in using an intermediary?

[shiny!]

Re: PC to Apple: Questions

Don, have you considered looking behind Door #3 at Linux? Linux has gotten a lot easier to use over the years. It's secure, free and Open Source. You could buy a nice, affordable PC (or build your own) from a place like Directron and install Linux on it for free. Future repairs and upgrades using off-the-shelf components would be cheap.

Basically, Linux is an operating system "kernal." Different Linux "distributions" take the Linux kernal and customize it for various purposes. There are general purpose distributions for the Desktop, distros specialized for servers, science, multimedia, education, etc. Some distros are tailored for beginners with easy installation and configuration, while other distros require more skill with commandline.

The Windows O/S made computers easy by dispensing with security. Because of the way Windows is designed, security will always be playing catch-up. Linux is based on Unix; security is inherent in its structure, not an afterthought "patch." The challenge for Linux has been to make a highly secure system easy for non-technical, everyday users. I think it's there now. If you were to switch to Linux you would experience some culture shock at first, but probably no more than if you switched to Apple. Most distros have support forums.

In Windows, Microsoft determines what the user interface looks like and how it works. In Linux, this is all highly customizable. You have what are called desktop environments. Imagine different authors with different styles (desktop environments) telling the same story (programs and apps). Hemmingway's prose is simple and unobtrusive (Xfce). Zelazney's prose is poetic and full of imagery (KDE). Linux offers lots of desktop environments catering to different tastes.

The Linux distribution I'm using is SalixOS with the Xfce desktop environment. It's simple, pretty and lets me do what I want without getting in my way. For people who like more eye candy, Salix also comes with the Mate and KDE desktop environments.

SalixOS is based on Slackware Linux which is known for speed and stability. Slackware can be configured for any purpose, but it is not an easy distro for beginners. Salix is basically Slackware with user-friendly installation and configuration tools. It comes fully loaded with:

System configuration tools
LibreOffice - comparable to MS Office
Financial management software
GIMP - similar to Adobe Photoshop
PDF viewer
CD/DVD burning software
File manager similar to Windows Explorer
Multimedia codecs and apps to play music and videos
Numerous browsers, email clients, chat, FTP, wireless networking
Printer drivers
Salix has a large free software repository that I've barely touched. Lots of games available.


Other easy beginner distros (maybe even easier to install than SalixOS) are Linux Mint, PCLinuxOS, Sabayon, and Mageia. These come with all the multimedia codecs you need for music, movies and videos.

Why don't you order some live Linux CDs for a few bucks (covers the cost of burning and postage) and play around with them before getting locked in with Apple? With a live CD, you can test drive the operating system without having to install it to your harddrive. You put it into your CD drive, boot up, and the programs load directly into RAM. If you like it, you can install it to your harddrive where it will run much faster.

You can also load Linux and your data onto a USB thumb drive, so you can take your computer with you wherever you go.

Five of the best beginner Linux distros

50 best Linux distros: find the best one for you

Distrowatch

[santafe2]

Re: PC to Apple: Questions

My biggest complaints for Apple laptop are expensive and repair costs. For the price of an Apple laptop you can buy two or three Windows laptops.

I've just been going through the same decision Don went through and I agree with you, Apple laptops are too expensive but they're such great laptops and you don't have to hate use Windows 8. About a month ago I was able to download Windows 8.1 on a backup laptop my wife, kids and I use in case one of our computers is in for repair, and I was glad to find that it's not horrible. It's definitely a more useable operating system. After that, I decided to again look at PC based laptops but I travel enough that I wanted one with a solid state drive and long battery life. I also have to create enough presentations that I wanted a 4th-g i7 processor and as much memory as I could afford. Basically, I wanted a MacBook Pro but I didn't want to pay an arm+leg. The only PC I could find that fit this criteria is a Lenovo Yoga 2. One of my best friends bought one for his kids and liked it so much he bought one for himself - backstory - He travels about 50% of the time and has been trying for 2 years to only use his iPad when on the road. He finally gave up.

I should have it in a few days and I long ago learned to not get too excited about any PC based laptop, but I'm hopeful.

[don]

Re: PC to Apple: Questions

Apple laptops are too expensive but they're such great laptops and you don't have to hate use Windows 8.

Well said on this dilemma. They are beautiful. They are expensive. Did Adam bite the Apple . . . .

[Chris Coles]

Re: PC to Apple: Questions

After cleaning and adding some very effective ad blockers and anti-malware, courtesy of the 'tulip, the old Dell warhorse yearns for lay its case down in green pastures. The Apple's laptop looks to be its replacement.

Questions: since it's a laptop, and will be self-contained, can I transfer files directly from the Dell to the Apple? These are mostly my wife's photos (JPEGS) and Word docs, readable in Apple's iWrite.

Will the OS difference be a problem?

One quick thought, with .doc documents; have any of you tried converting them to PDF format? With any important document here I always do such a conversion. It makes it very easy to use such in any environment.

[shiny!]

Re: PC to Apple: Questions

One quick thought, with .doc documents; have any of you tried converting them to PDF format? With any important document here I always do such a conversion. It makes it very easy to use such in any environment.

True. I prefer to save my documents in .rtf instead of .doc or .pdf. Documents saved in Rich Text Format look just like .doc files but they can be opened, read and edited in all word processors across all platforms. I just configure Word at work or LibreOffice at home to save all documents in Rich Text Format.

[don]

Re: PC to Apple: Questions

One quick thought, with .doc documents; have any of you tried converting them to PDF format? With any important document here I always do such a conversion. It makes it very easy to use such in any environment.

All my finished work, from short pieces to book length, go up in PDF. It's a great platform.

[ProdigyofZen]

Re: PC to Apple: Questions

After cleaning and adding some very effective ad blockers and anti-malware, courtesy of the 'tulip, the old Dell warhorse yearns for lay its case down in green pastures. The Apple's laptop looks to be its replacement.

Questions: since it's a laptop, and will be self-contained, can I transfer files directly from the Dell to the Apple? These are mostly my wife's photos (JPEGS) and Word docs, readable in Apple's iWrite.

Will the OS difference be a problem?

Don, why not download Dropbox https://www.dropbox.com/ then you do not have to worry about this situation if it is just pics and word docs. Then you can easily transfer the files from dropbox to your new computers hard drive.

This is probably the easiest and most efficient path.

I use dropbox for everything.

[don]

Re: PC to Apple: Questions

Will checkout.

[pianodoctor]

Re: PC to Apple: Questions

Not to contradict any previous suggestions but another alternative is a free Google account. Use the free data storage to drop off your files and retrieve them via google Drive. In addition you can syncronize your phone contacts and calendar so they are backed up "in the cloud" and retrievable via non-phone browser. Sign up with google, explore the abilities, download free Drive apps to computers and phone. I use it with Mac computer and Android phone.

[flintlock]

Re: PC to Apple: Questions

We have both. Son's Apple was expensive but not that much more than a comparable PC if you catch a good deal. Less than 2x the cost. Has been reliable. Daughter's Dell has been back for the same repair twice and its only 6 month's old. These are hardware issues. I wont even get into the OS. It was very cheap though. Which is what you want with a 16 yo girl. Wife has lenovo which has been reliable for 2 years. I dont use a laptop personally. Hate em. Have a desktop and an Ipad, which I am using right now.

[charliebrown]

Re: PC to Apple: Questions

I work in a fortune 500 co, in the IT department. We all have lenovo laptops. They seem reliable. There have been a few lemons where they failed within the first 30 days, but once they settled in they seem to be reliable.

I have been converted from a Unix programmer to a windows programmer as my company has switched a lot of our work from SCO unix. Two things really frost me about windows. One is the registry. Snap shot the registry, load even a simple program and diff with the new registry and you will see thousands of entries in the registry. uninstall the program and half of them are still there. I think there is a term called registry rot where uninstallation of one program causes others to stop working.

2nd beef is the API set for the OS is not fully documented. Especially error codes. When a programmer can't find documentation about error codes, guess what they do??? They don't code for them! This probably explains why windows programs seem so buggy and the just reboot mantra is gospel. A lot of foundational pieces of windows are not well documented. There seems to be an underlying theme to employ microsoft professional services for hard core
business applications, like the embedded applications I produce.

I used to use Apple products but that was a long time ago. And I stopped using them because of their expense. I had some hardware problems on a desk top and every repair was hundreds of $$$. A PC would have been 100. to fix. Windows for personal use I find not as good, but I dont have piles of cash for personal stuff. Also my kids have one PC, wife has one and I have one. One apple would be affordable, but 3 is out of the question.

I am reaching the end of my equipment life cycle too. I have two pentium III machines running XP that when they break will have to be replaced.
If you just write letters and surf and use XP, believe it or not a p3 works fine. Given my disgust with windows, I don't know if I want to pour more cash down that rat hole. Look at all the new OS's and Applications. Office changes every 2-4 years, and so does the OS. Not only the guts but the user interface and document formats. This is just a change to generate cash flow for microsoft.

I have tried open office for docs, and it works, but does not integrate seemlessly with office. Controls are all in different places and usually formatting needs to be tweaked. This is not good for the kids, and my work when I have to live in an M.S. world.