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raf66 · Nov 29, 2008, 08:05 PM

Hi everyone. A belated Happy Thanksgiving to you all. I'm new to the forum and I wanted to introduce myself and ask a question.

I've been a PC user/owner for years and have never used a Mac, though I've always wanted to try one out. Unfortunately as a lawyer my firm uses only PC's, so whatever I purchase will be for my personal use at home.

Here's my question: I'm looking at buying myself an the 20 inch version of the IMac. I've done some "test-driving" of the system at my local Best Buy and am really excited about the purchase, which will be in the next 30-45 days (Christmas money will go toward the purchase

).

First, will it be difficult for me as a PC user (Windows XP) to operate the Apple software and hardware or is the learning curve pretty quick?

Next, I'd rather have the 2 GB version of the 20 inch (2.66GHz/20GB) rather than the 1 GB version (2.4GHz/250GB) as I think that would be best for me and my family at home. I also think it's worth the extra $300. We likely will be doing mostly word processing, downloading pics and music and surfing the net.

Is the IMac a good machine for our uses? Would it be worth it to go the 2 GB version of the 20 inch?

Thank you for your responses.

Gregg · Nov 29, 2008, 08:35 PM

Good for you! Once you get hooked, you'll never look back.

Learning the Mac should be a breeze. If you purchase Office for Mac, Word, Excel, etc. will behave pretty much the same as you're used to in Windows. The "extra" gig will be a good idea if you will be doing lots of stuff with photos and music. Go for it!

turtle777 · Nov 29, 2008, 09:20 PM

Apple overcharges on RAM, so buy the 1 GB version, and then purchase additional 2GB RAM from Newegg or other reputable sources on the internet.

More RAM will make a huge performance difference, so don't skimp on it.

-t

ghporter · Nov 29, 2008, 09:32 PM

Welcome to our forums!

The basic idea behind using either Windows or OS X is pretty much the same. There are a few differences (in OS X's favor) that make picking up one or the other operating system "interesting." But it is VERY simple to learn those differences in OS X, and it's very enjoyable while you're doing it.

As Gregg points out, Apple overcharges for RAM upgrades. Go with the lower RAM model and spend really very little money to max out the RAM. Upgrading the RAM in the aluminum iMac is extremely simple.

I have the original 20" aluminum iMac, and it's great. The small footprint, the great styling, and the awesome performance that comes with the iMac will have you hooked in no time!

And again, WELCOME!

ibook_steve · Nov 29, 2008, 10:02 PM

If you have lawyer programs that only run on the PC, you can use Boot Camp to boot into Windows or "virtualize" Windows applications using Parallels Desktop or VMWare Fusion. See our Alternative Operating Systems forum for more information.

Steve

raf66 · Nov 30, 2008, 02:06 PM

Thanks for the responses guys. I can't remember ever being as excited as this when contemplating purchasing a PC!

Thanks again for the input and I'll keep you posted on the purchase.

NobleMatt · Nov 30, 2008, 02:22 PM

just to reassure you i made the move two tears ago, and found it easy, make sure you turn on the right click (if its not on by default) and another little trick if you find yourself missing a start menu is to drag your applications folder into the tight hand section of your dock (next to your bin), right clicking it and selecting "list" and when you left click in future it will pop out in a start menu style list of applications.

best of luck with your upcoming purchase!