PC vs. Mac
 

My 5-yr-old Dell desktop PC is showing its age. I'm thinking I should replace it with a Mac. I've used one, touchpads and stuff, at my kids' houses and I think I can manage the learning curve.
BUT is it true that they cost twice as much as PCs? Will I have to buy a lot of software? Does it come with a basic office program? Will I really love it?

Changed from PC to Mac 5 years ago and will never go back. Prices are a bit higher but the ease of use and quality control make it a no brainer. There is a great Mac club here and if you decide to switch. They can support you through the transition and beyond. By the way their customer support is in the USA and they speak fluid English!

Also, go to David A Cox's videos on pc classes online. These are free tutorials. There is an excellent one on going from Windows to Apple.
:
http://pcclassesonline.com Go to: Learn the Mac in 90 minutes Yosimate Edition

The learning curve is very small...when you buy from an Apple store they offer free lessons...ms office has apple compatibles...while there are viruses for iMacs in 6 years I've never had a problem and it hasn't slowed down in the least...

I switched about 8 years ago. My IMac is still running strong with no problems. I think it is a quality product worth the higher price. I especially like that it is less vulnerable to viruses and malware than PC's. When I recently bought an iPad it came with free office software, so I assume that's the case for an apple computer.

A 5-yr-old Dell desktop PC is not old based on your needs. I left windows 12 years ago. With the same PC I wiped the hard drive clean and installed a linux operating system. The cost was zero.

Thousands of free software availible. I recently bought a refurbished dell desktop for $220.00 and installed linux mint. I have photo software, office suite etc better than windows all free.

Anyone interested I would be glad to show you my system and help you install linux on your old PC.

I know this is not of widespread interest in TV, but how is gaming on the Mac nowadays? Has it improved at all? Any mainstream games that run native on the Mac?

Mac is the way to go.

I'm a gamer,still very few games for Mac's.I've been running Windows 10 Tech preview and it is a vast improvement over Windows 8.

For the second time, A five year old computer just died on me. I think it needs a "mother board". I could use a mother board myself! Lol
I am considering a Mac because I want a computer that will last longer than five years.
The new Macs I looked at don't have a disk player. I have a new wireless printer that I would want to connect. This is where I get scared. Should I buy an older model Mac that has the disc player so I can hook up my printer. Should I do what the sales person at Best Buy suggested and buy a disk player, connect it to the Mac and use the disc to install the printer? The other suggestion they made was buy their service policy then pay extra to have them come out and hook it up to my printer.
One more question - Should I pay Best Buy to copy the information on my computer to a thumb drive? Most of my pictures have been uploaded to Shutterfly.
Now you understand why I want a new mother board for my brain. :)
Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Take a look at the refurbished Macs on the Apple webpage. They come with a regular warranty and can save you a bit of money.

How do you use your computer?
Are you considering a laptop?
What is your budget?
Do yo like the size of your current screen? What size is it?
Will it be shared?

I bought a new Dell Inspiron 15 inch Touch Screen 500mg HD 4g ram for $380. To get a comparable Mac with a 15 inch screen (Mac Pro) it would cost $1999.00. If I went down to a 13 inch screen Mac Air it would be $1,199.00. Only you can decide if that price differential is worth it. For me it was a no brainer.

My Son works computer tech support for a large company that uses both PCs and Macs. PC support requires 11 people for 800 end-users; Apple support 2 people for 1,200 end-users. Draw your own conclusion.

They are hardly comparable systems. One is a Dell with 4 GBs of memory and a 500 GB harddrive and the other is a 16 GB Mac with flash storage. Macs start at a higher point because they generally come better equipped. If you tried to compare comparable systems the Mac would cost more but not by the ratio you have suggested.