I rushed in here to help Doe as thought you were wanting a rain mac

Sorry can't help with question as I'm technophobe

The main benefit of a Mac is the functionality it has when it comes to design stuff really, other than that you are paying for the name.

Its also worth remembering that the Mac uses a completely different operating system so if one has grown accustomed to a windows style layout it could be difficult to adjust.

If you like the idea of the system being box free (as all components are built into the monitor) Why not consider a set up like this? At less than half the price, possibly easier to use and more suitable for your needs..

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/asus-et2210euks-22-all-in-one-pc-11361455-pdt.html

Other than that, £600 would get you a really nice desktop and a huge flat screen monitor (if that's the appeal) OR a lovely high spec laptop with a big screen. I personally have never saw much sense to spending £1000 on a computer of which half the price is paying for the design and logo on the front of it.

Hope this helps

Thanks Steve I will take a look at your link. I have been dithering over this decision for an age and it is coming to crunch time. I have been on a couple of techie forums and folk seem to be solidly in one camp of another so it is difficult to get a view as a novice.

The very large screen is one of the things that appeals to me, and you are right I would probably not exploit all it's capabilities.

LOL @ Glynis, think I might have been been able to resolve that one on me own .

Do my daughter got fed up with windows always crashing and the other problems associated with it,
she wanted to buy a new mac desk top and a new mac laptop [her dell is only 18 months old] but due to the turn down in business was unable to afford the change, she asked me to convert her laptop and her desktop to Linux

so back in june i converted her laptop [after rescuing all her files folders and most important , pictures of our granddaughter] to Linux Mint +cinnamon, she had mastered it in a few days and was highly delighted at the speed increase gained, I have also converted her old desktop [used as an office machine] to Mint + mate/duel boot windows 7

both jobs took a total of about 3 hrs and cost her a bottle of scotch

people will tell you Linux is hard,Linux is no good etc etc. mint is as easy as windows and comes complete with a full office suite [ if my daughter can use it anyone can]

see review

doing the desktop took about an hour and a half

Size isn't always important! Well the 21" Mac starts at £999 (basic model) the big one at 27" starts at £1400 so its entirely up to you.

If you like a big one this could probably satisfy you and isn't bad looking:

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/asus-et2410iuts-b030c-24-all-in-one-pc-11361554-pdt.html

24" screen, 1TB of disk space, 3GhZ process and 4GB of RAM. This will run just about anything you could need it for, less than half the price of the big Mac (and lets face it a £750 saving cant be frowned upon - thats a nice holiday abroad!)

I suggest that you find someone with a Mac who will let you play with it for an hour or two. When I first started my current job we all had Macs - I've been through the lot from the original Macintosh box, a Performa, an iMac and an Macbook for personal use. But when we merged with another HE institution and they were all PC-based, we had to change over - their IT Dept refused to support Macs. And I hate it, and still do more than 7 years down the line!

I loved my Macs because, yes, they are so much nicer looking! But not only for that reason - here are the others:

1) I've never been affected by viruses - nobody seems to bother creating them for the Mac operating systems.

2) The user interface is much more intuitive and user friendly. Use one Mac application and you'll then find that all the rest work in the same way.

3) They are quicker in use because you need fewer key strokes/mouse clicks to do almost anything.

4) I need decent graphic appliactions and Macs, or rather the applications designed for a Mac, are better.

5) I'm not adding to Bill's personal fortune even if he is now giving most of it away.

The negatives?

1) I've more than done my bit for Steve Jobs fortune in the past.

2) I'm no longer happy with the ethical position of the company - I've resisted buying an iPad because I'm not happy with purchasing a product made in a factory that had to fit anti-suicide nets to the building because of the numbers of workers who were throwing themselves off the roof. And if I'm going to pay that much for something I want to be sure that the workers are receiving a fair wge for their labour. But then I don;t shop in Primark for similar reasons.

The myths?

1) Don't believe anybody who tells you that you won't be able to easily share files with PC users - I regularly write joint papers, both now and in the past, with people who use both PCs and Macs and we manage to send drafts backwards and forwards to each other without problems.

SM
(Staring at her Lenovo Thinkpad on the office desk at work and hating it because it is so unreliable, ugly and heavy and cost her employer a good deal more than a new MacBook would have cost!)

1) I've never been affected by viruses - nobody seems to bother creating them for the Mac operating systems.

Viruses cater for all operating systems and the likelihood of any type of system corruption is usually due to ignorance of the computer user. Downloading from untrusted sources, spending too much time in certain types of website etc puts the odds of picking something nasty up a lot. A combination of anti virus software and common sense keeps everyone 100% safe.

2) The user interface is much more intuitive and user friendly. Use one Mac application and you'll then find that all the rest work in the same way.

I didn't really understand this. Use one windows application and the rest are laid out the same also. Pretty redundant argument really..

3) They are quicker in use because you need fewer key strokes/mouse clicks to do almost anything.

Again this is the first time I've heard something like this. The "quickness in use" is down to processor speed, RAM (random access memory) and graphics cards to name a few things. Key strokes and clicking has next to no affect on any computer built in the last decade as the computer usage % of these actions is so minimal its irrelevant.

4) I need decent graphic appliactions and Macs, or rather the applications designed for a Mac, are better.

Agreed- Macs cater for graphic designers mainly. The pretty icons pull the designers in like a child to something sparkly. Although most graphic design applications such as photoshop etc. can happily run on most operating systems with little to no difference.

5) I'm not adding to Bill's personal fortune even if he is now giving most of it away.

Do you also pick/squeeze your own oranges for juice so that you aren't at risk of adding to the "Tetra Pak Fortune" everytime you buy something in a carton?

The negatives?

1) I've more than done my bit for Steve Jobs fortune in the past.

Again, the relevance of the success of those who run/own a company is nil. If everyone refused to purchase a product at risk of the owner becoming wealthy, the economy would crash. What if you had a particularly successful career that depended on your customers spending money on a product? Its not greed, its business.

2) I'm no longer happy with the ethical position of the company - I've resisted buying an iPad because I'm not happy with purchasing a product made in a factory that had to fit anti-suicide nets to the building because of the numbers of workers who were throwing themselves off the roof. And if I'm going to pay that much for something I want to be sure that the workers are receiving a fair wge for their labour. But then I don;t shop in Primark for similar reasons.

This is very commendable however almost any large scale business outsources everything from manufacturing to call centres. Technology companies survive in this manner regardless of which one you go to.

The myths?

1) Don't believe anybody who tells you that you won't be able to easily share files with PC users - I regularly write joint papers, both now and in the past, with people who use both PCs and Macs and we manage to send drafts backwards and forwards to each other without problems.

Correct. Compatibility between a PC user and Mac user is seldom a problem.

LOL at big isn't always better Steve.

I think I need to go and play with a mac. I think it is the look of them I am seduced by.

I haven't reinstalled any anti virus software on my acer in the last four years as I decided that was what was making it run slow, and haven't picked up any viruses in that period of time, perhaps this is due to the nature of the sites I go.

Doe

Oh Dear! I clearly needed to make more use of emoticons to signal when my tongue was firmly in my cheek!

3) They are quicker in use because you need fewer key strokes/mouse clicks to do almost anything.

Again this is the first time I've heard something like this. The "quickness in use" is down to processor speed, RAM (random access memory) and graphics cards to name a few things. Key strokes and clicking has next to no affect on any computer built in the last decade as the computer usage % of these actions is so minimal its irrelevant.

And perhaps I should have said 'take less time' or less fiddly in use' than 'quicker in use' because I was referring to the number of steps/hoops you have to jump through to accomplish basic operating tasks. I've never come across a computer - even one built in the last 10 years where you didn't need to use your mouse to decipher and click on to icons at all and/or press the 'return' key to indicate OK in a dialogue box etc. I always knew that the there was no need for a 'right click' on the mouse for any of my Macs but it's a new one on me that I don't need either a 'right click' or a 'left click' with the PC - but perhaps I've misunderstood your point?. Though granted the latest Dragon voice recognition software I have on the Lenova does mean that I do now have to use the keyboard far less than I've ever done before

I guess I must be just a child who is pulled in by sparkly things and is swayed by the elegance of the design of a computer and its user interface. On the other hand I couldn't care less what a car looks like as long as it gets me from A to B but I understand that lots of drivers do.

You can find this info in the Computer Problems section in full.

If your pc / laptop is running slower try using CCleaner, Malwarebytes and Auslogic defragger and see if that speeds it up.

My wife has just bought a mac , it's her money I didn't ask how much obviously a bit more than than a standard laptop , I asked her why ? Well it's going to last longer because you get regular updates , it's a well known brand that lasts well , my pictures look lovely on it etc etc . I'm no technophobe , I love all ths new technology but can I be bothered at how it works ?? A big NO I want something that is not just user friendly but designed for a complete idiot to use , I want it to switch on and do exactly what it should and apple seem really good at doing this . My wife wanted to buy me an iPad and I said why I understand how that crappy laptop I've got works , even though it takes 15 mins to warm up , what use is an iPad going to be ? Well I love it and I actually feel if it is an extension of my right arm , I love being able to take it outside on my patio and search everything I desire on the Internet , I can sit there with a coffee from my tassimo machine and a Marlboro gold ( because they're not light anymore) and to be honest I couldn't be happier , if this is what living in the new world is then bring it on !!! My iPad and tassimo are pure gold , I'm on holiday at the moment but I have free wifi and a nepresso machine in my room , so again I'm a happy bunny plus Ive just had a bottle of valpolicella with a nice steak so my tastes are varied
I wish I had the patience of Wizard to do computery things but I probably would do the bottle of scotch trying to sort it out , I'm happier with a paintbrush and doing a bit of DIY , but each to their own , what like about apple products is they can be used by complete imbeciles like me , and make me feel "connected " to the real world , I'm a bit concerned about SMas point about the iPad factory but that really is more politics and not to be discussed after a bottle of fine valpolicella and a couple of Keos it's a personal viewpoint and I remember as a young lad in my first job in a supermarket a woman berating the fact that we sold south African oranges ( we are keeping on the fruit theme) I thought It fair that she didn't want those oranges and understood her viewpoint though I wasn't aware of the link between Nelson Mandela and oranges ( perhaps I was too interested in football beer and girls in no particular order ) but did she have any right to stop other people enjoying those lovely appealing oranges that were first class quality ?
Doe , should you buy a mac , I don't know ? Life should be simple and in many ways it is and then again it isn't , but if you've been seduced there is no shame in that

I bought a Macbook Air back in March.... I love it! But I love it cos it weighs so little, it feels and looks gorgeous, and yes, I have no idea how to take advantage of all the lovely bits on it My pics look lovely though!!! My friend has the desktop Mac, and again, it is a beautiful piece of machinery to look at and stroke!!!

Doe, if you want a Mac and can afford it, I would say, just go for it Mine gives me pleasure just looking at it!!!

Thanks Lucy I think while I am deciding I will try and use up some clean up programmes on the Acer as it is driving me mad. But I just have a feeling I may end up with a Mac I hardly ever buy myself anything nice (ergo using a freebie laptop for a decade) and I just feel drawn to them.Thanks for your posts Andy & Sue it isn't taking much to persuade me but will still go and do a trawl of the shops.

Doe

Hi doe, you'll never know til you give it a go! And you'll only know that by going and having a look at both the latest PCs and Macs. I'm not suggesting that you go and buy it from them because I think that you can get better deals at times despite their 'Never knowingly undersold' policy but I've found that the the staff in John Lewis's computer depts are excellent in helping you work out what is the best buy for you. They've always taken the time to help me work out which would be the best model to buy and in fact when I bought the iBook I came away with a cheaper model than I'd originally gone in to look at because the assistant pointed out that a lower spec one would do everything that I needed from it - and they were quite right. Yes, I've resisted buying an iPad so far - but note the 'so far' - I can still hear its siren call and I'm not sure for how much longer I can hold out.

OK I know that this anecdote is seriously off-topic but it highlights that we don't all make our buying choices on the same grounds and, yes, they aren't always rationale or justifiable and any boycott, for wahtever reason, with regards to certain goods is simply a drop in the ocean. In the days when there used to be proper greengrocers I had a weekly order with the one on the corner of of the street I lived on. I'd drop my list off on the way to work each Friday morning and Steve would deliver it that evening. So this particular Friday morning he scanned the list and said 'Afraid we've only got Outspan (South African) oranges this week - do still want them or do you want to swap them for something else?'. So I asked for extra apples instead. And the woman behind me in the queue said that she had the same misgivings about South African oranges - what with them being handled by all those black people - but after all as I was going to be peeling them so did it really matter? Steve and I were left speechless! There just didn't seem anywhere to take that conversation after that

SM

PS If you're ever behind me in the supermarket and notice that there are no cartons of orange juice (or any other fruit juice) in my trolley, it's not because I don't want to add to the Rausing fortune but because I prefer to eat whole fruit and only ever buy fruit juices when my Dad comes to stay.

SM

The advice and opinions of everyone so far is about as good as it will get from a 3rd part point of view.

Best thing you can do now is to get yourself to an Apple store and have a play in there (on one of the Macs obviously) or try a major retailer of both macs and pc's as they will be able to give you some unbiased advice.

I won't lie, they are nice bits of kit. Chris' wife has the big mac and although he doesn't like them, i would definitely get one if I could justify the spend as the graphic designer in me would snap one up on impulse. My younger brother is currently at university doing architecture and has a little Macbook and he loves it. Several issues but the customer service and help he gets when there is an issue is faultless.

Do get insurance for it though, there are many sites such as protect your bubble (?) who offer cheap gadget insurance which he has needed to utilise at least once due to a drinks spillage and the £350 bill was covered and he only got stuck with a £50 excess.

Thanks SM

Thanks again SMa and Steve.

I think you have outlined is my eventual plan, I will be taking my time on it. I will go to one of the major retailers that has both and spend some time in there and maybe go to an apple store as well at some point. My DD has an IPhone and is always impressed with the staff in her apple store. She has already claimed on her insurance once ! I think it is worth having if you buy something this expensive at least for the first few years.

xxxx

You mentioned Citrix gateway. Where I'm currently working thay have it running on a mix of PC's and Macs, even some Ipads. Best to check with your IT department though before parting with your hard earned cash.

Thanks sunbear, a couple of my colleagues have said it can be a bit iffy with a Mac but to be honest it seems to be a bit hit and miss with windows as well.

Once we get on we are OK, but it can be difficult to make the initial connection. I am bearing it in mind though. Our IT are aware of it and I assume looking into it but the helpdesk can be swamped between 8am and 10am.

Doe

Husband is illustrator and eldest son works with him having done degree in graphic design and both use macs and swear by them. When my pc's have died I've used old spare one I kept and soon got used to it albeit everything seems to be reverse of windows!

Younger son is IT field engineer for pcs so I have best of both worlds and anything goes wrong with my pc he sorts it for me (usually via logmein remotely ). I do think though that when my pc eventually bites the dust I will get a mac - probably take over one from their studio though rather than a new one for what I use it for.